


Soul Meets Soul

by iknaq



Series: The Suits [3]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Music, Angst, Anxiety, BBW, Banter, Bisexual Female Character, Cutting, Depression, Dirty Talk, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Flirting, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Inspired by Music, Masturbation, Nick Is Equipped, Nightmares, Oral Sex, Other, POV Alternating, Polyamorous Character, Smut, Suicide Attempt, Vaginal Sex, Voyeurism, plus size
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-24 18:12:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 39,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10747092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iknaq/pseuds/iknaq
Summary: Nick's reaction to catching Quinn in the bath. The Minutemen are starting to gain momentum. Quinn gets injured in Vault 81. Quinn and Sturges get cuddly, Nick gets jealous and they fight. Nick tells Quinn about Eddie Winter. They finally get their crap together and hook up.





	1. Carefully Planned Collapse

**Author's Note:**

> Mods Referenced:  
> Eli's Armour Compendium  
> Repaired Nick Valentine

'Okay Nick, so what was that about yesterday?' Preston sat down next to the synth, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.  
  
He knew Nick and Quinn were close, but ever since yesterday things had been off. First Nick lying, then acting weird around the General, then chain smoking and brooding. Nick was lucky he wasn't human, that much smoking probably would have made the man sick.  
  
Nick cleared his throat, looking at Preston, 'Oh...ah, yeah. I wanted to do something nice for Quinn since she's been feeling so bad. She's talked about it a couple times and said that she wanted to do it, I was thinking that we should tear her old house down. Then I was thinking we could make it like a playground or something for when she finds her son.'  
  
Preston raised his eyebrows in surprise, 'That would be nice, I don't know how long something like that might take.'  
  
'I was thinking between us, Sturges, Codsworth, and the new guys we could probably get it taken down fairly quickly. It's the foundation that will probably be the hard part. I was hoping Sturges might have some ideas about that.'  
  
'Hoping I might have ideas about what?' Sturges wandered in to grab some coffee, he stayed with Quinn the night before and hadn't had a chance to change into his overalls yet.  
  
Preston had felt awkward about that at first, but he knew it was the right thing to do that first night he stayed with her and she woke up with such terror in her eyes. The others seemed to be more comfortable with casual contact, but he'd never really been casual about things like that. Her hugs and kisses were fine, it was a little different when they were lying in bed together. He preferred some kind of deeper connection. The first night he had offered to just sit in the chair, but he woke after a few hours with a crick in his neck and Quinn had insisted he lay down. He wasn't completely inexperienced, but it had been a while and she was very soft. Preston knew that they would never work in that way, she would probably eat him alive...didn't stop him from appreciating how that vault suit covered her rear.  
  
He came back to the conversation as Nick and Sturges were discussing different manners in which they could take care of the foundation and he started to wonder what he had missed while he was thinking about Quinn because Sturges was talking about drilling holes and dropping explosives in.

'Whoa, are we sure there is no other way, man?'  
  
'Not if we want to get it done before she comes back, it'll be loud, but it shouldn't be dangerous really.'  
  
Nick nodded a bit, 'Have to be careful loading things up, but the blast should be contained and just shatter the concrete.'  
  
Preston looked at them like they were crazy, but Sturges would know better than he would, 'Well, okay, if you're sure. We'll need to let everyone know what is going on so they don't think we're being attacked and we might want to send Dogmeat to the Abernathy's so he doesn't get all riled up and they don't worry.'  
  
Sturges nodded, 'It will take a little bit of planning, mostly depends on how quickly we can get everything down today and how long it takes me to drill holes in the concrete.' He let out a big yawn and got another cup of coffee, 'Sorry, I don't know what the heck it is, but Quinn...she smelled like Fancy Lads Snack Cakes last night, only better, and I kept having the strangest dreams about food.'  
  
Nick let out a bark of laughter and they looked at him, waiting for an explanation.  
  
He ran his metal hand over the back of his neck, almost looking embarrassed, chuckling, 'Vanilla.'  
  
'Huh?' Sturges looked at Preston and he just shrugged.  
  
'Quinn got some soap from Carla, prewar made soap...it smells like vanilla. I noticed it after she took her bath. Vanilla was this flowering plant...and it had these pods and the pods could be used for cooking or making things smell good, vanilla bean. It was used it a lot of dessert type foods. They probably used it in Fancy Lads, but it doesn't smell quite the same because of all the preservatives.'  
  
Sturges just nodded, 'Huh. All I know is I kept worrying I was going to wake up trying to chew on her or something and hafta try to explain that one. Bad enough when she trots about in that vault suit, now she smells amazing too.'  
  
The three of them just nodded, lost in their own thoughts for a moment. Sturges went to change and Preston and Nick went out to talk to the new guys and Codsworth about what they would be doing today.  
  
-  
  
It had been soft, but Nick was fairly certain he had heard his name. He wandered towards the bathhouse worried that Quinn had done something silly like slip in the tub and hurt herself. He did not understand how she could be graceful and stealthy one moment, but once she relaxed she was walking into to doors and stuff. He stepped into the house and called out her name and got worried when he heard the whimper, running down the hall.  
  
He came to a dead halt just outside of the doorway and locked up. His mind was racing, telling him to run away that he shouldn't be there, but his body wasn't cooperating.  
  
(The Perfect Drug - Nine Inch Nails)  
  
The first thing that popped into his head was the renaissance paintings of Venus that he had seen in one of the museums. Then she raised her slick fingers to her mouth and he just about groaned at the sight. That was something straight out of the spank mag he kept hidden in the bathroom where Jenny wouldn't find it. They hadn't waited until marriage, but the times that they did have sex it had been very...proper. The lights were off, she had a dressing gown on, and he couldn't remember ever hearing her make any noise really. He'd loved her and it felt great, but sometimes he would sneak away to the restroom and take things in hand, imagining naughtier things.  
  
It was like a fucking fantasy manifested right in front of him. She was flushed and amazing, covering her mouth to stifle the cries. She made the sweetest sounds. It was bad enough on a normal day, she was always humming and whimpering and gasping and making all kinds of noises...now this, he was going to have a hard time looking her in the face. He wanted to take every whimper and moan and cry and commit it to his memory banks along with every inch of her body that he could see.  
  
He had never understood why the Institute made him the way they did, it was bad enough that they gave him emotions, but desire too and the parts to go with it? It was cruel. He usually had good control of his functions and honestly didn't have to worry about it, he tried not to look at anyone that way since the one mistake, but that damn woman affected him like no one ever had. Usually, he had to actively think about it for the proper parts to function, but here he was, a synth lusting after the woman like a teenager.  
  
He watched as the orgasm hit her suddenly and she writhed, desperately trying not to imagine her over him squirming on his lap like that and failing miserably. He was lost in that thought for a moment when he heard her chuckle and then the gasp when she realised that he was standing there. He was trying to think of some smartass retort so he could extract himself with minimal fuss, but then she stood up and started walking towards him and he was pretty sure he was going to overheat.  
She licked those amazing lips she had and just the way she said his name would have brought him to his knees if she asked. Then she was grabbing his tie and pulling him down for a kiss. He wanted to scoop her up and drive her against the wall, but he somehow managed to keep his hands at his sides. He leant over at the hips, carefully moving so that she wouldn't brush against his front. She smelled overwhelmingly like sex and vanilla, combined with the faint lingering taste of her own juices on her tongue he couldn't stop the small moan and swiped at her tongue with his own for a better taste. He felt her palms, warm against his chest as she wobbled, and he remembered his thoughts of wanting the kiss. Worrying that it would indeed be their second and last kiss, he redoubled his efforts, tongue twining with hers.  
He felt a flash of guilt when she let out a little moan and pulled back with a gasp. He didn't need to breathe and hadn't thought about her needs. She hid her face against his chest and he had to stay still so she wouldn't accidentally press against his hard on. He stared at her hair and had to fist his hands so he wouldn't tilt her head back up and take her mouth again. When she looked up at him he didn't know what to do, her pupils were still blown with desire, but she had that little tilt to her head that she got when she was trying to figure something out.  
He straightened up slowly, clearing his throat and the moment was broken. The towel was too small and it only emphasised the bits that remained uncovered, taunting him.  
  
'I...uh, heard you call my name and came to make sure you were okay.'  
  
He cursed himself for the pause and had the overwhelming urge for a cigarette, searching his pockets. He couldn't look back up because he knew if he did, that would be it. She mentioned something about laundry and he nodded and left before she could notice his state.  
  
He was eventually able to calm himself down, but he decided to patrol with Codsworth because it felt like every time he started getting closer to her, the desire would surge again. He had thought he had it under control when he finally went to her room, she was so tired, blinking at him and looked like she wanted to talk and he wasn't ready for that.  
  
'Rest doll, you have a busy day tomorrow.'  
  
She looked hurt as she rolled over and he hated himself for causing that. Soon enough her breathing evened out, but she tossed and turned a bit. At one point she started thrashing a bit harder and he was about to get up to wake her from the dream when she kicked the blanket off. Her shirt had ridden up from her thrashing and he could see the soft curve of the undersides of her breasts, she wasn't wearing a bra. His desire surged back to life and he put the blanket back on her and had to leave the room. After a half an hour of unsuccessfully calming himself down, he went to the other house and woke Sturges to go take his place, mumbling something about diagnostics.  
He sat himself down on the couch and lit another cigarette thinking about the awkward mess with Irma, trying to remind himself why this was a horrible idea and why he should stop it immediately.  
  
-  
  
Nick had been helping Irma out with her rat of an ex-husband that had been threatening her. They were both always flirting, but he hadn't really thought anything of it till she kissed him in his office. She was moaning softly and he was about to back her into the wall when Ellie walked in, causing them to jump apart like a couple teenagers that had been caught necking.  
  
He had been surprised with himself, he was moving on automatic, Irma was the first person to kiss him in his synth body. Up until that point, all 95 years of it, he had never even thought he was capable of feeling like that. He had never understood why they gave him the parts without the function or as he liked to say, all the parts, minus a few red blood cells.  
  
The following week he was at the Memory Den, playing bodyguard and she had pulled him into one of the empty dressing rooms, kissing him again. He figured if she wanted it, then hey, he was okay with that. They were kissing for a bit and he didn't suppress the stir he felt. Next thing he knew, Irma was jumping back in shock, staring at him like he had three heads.  
It apparently had never occurred to her that the Institute would have equipped him with those parts. She ran back out to have a cigarette and he caught sight of himself in the dresser mirror...all the jagged edges and grey skin...he told himself that that was never going to happen again, he wasn't human and he shouldn't be having those feelings. He couldn't even tell if those feelings were his, some echo from Nick Valentine's life before, or if he was malfunctioning in some manner.  
Irma tried to corner him a few more times while he was there, saying it was just surprise, but he strategically extracted himself each time. He'd still flirt and always try to be kind, but from that moment on he told himself that he would never let himself feel that way.  
  
But the seed had been planted and from time to time he would see a pretty dame and feel that stir, the ache of something missing. So he'd go back to the agency, throw himself into work and keep going till the thoughts faded away.  
  
Over the years Irma kept trying, but Nick could never forget her face and he'd only gotten more beat up as time went on. It had been a while since he had been to Goodneighbor, the last time he had been by, Irma had managed to get him cornered and he barely slipped away. He had to keep telling himself it was better that way.

  
-  
  
Throwing himself into work wasn't working quite as well as he'd hoped it would, at least now he wasn't embarrassing himself with his uncontrollable libido, but he couldn't stop the random thoughts from popping into his head while they disassembled the house.  
  
Knocking a chunk of roof off, remembering what she smelled like.  
Taking a wall down, imagining Sturges eating Fancy Lad cakes off of Quinn.  
Pulling the floor up, wondering what her lips would feel like wrapped around his length.  
  
That gave him pause and he actually had to think about it for a moment. Having never actually used his...equipment, he had no clue what the sensor net was like for it. The majority of the skin covering his body was not very sensitive and there were patches that didn't have any feeling at all anymore. But thinking about it, it hadn't always been that way, he vaguely remembered being agitated slightly as he was getting checked over the first time because it tickled. Nick Valentine hated getting tickled. He wondered if it was just wear and tear or if something had gotten disconnected. He knew he could feel pain, it was like an electrical surge, hot and sharp...then it would settle to a pulse, like from a TENS unit. If it was bad enough, he just lost feeling altogether.  
  
He wandered over to the other side of the house where Sturges was salvaging the windows.  
  
'Sturges, if you have a moment, can I have a word?'  
  
'Sure, Valentine, what's going on?'  
  
'I was thinking about the offer you made when I first got here and I was wondering how that would work. What do you know of synth bodies?'  
  
'Well, it's not exactly my forte, but when we were still in Quincy I got my hands on a couple of the Gen 2's at one point. One of the patrols had gone by University Point and that place always seems to have some hanging around. Looking at it, it's both wonderfully complex and beautifully simple.' He gestured to Nick's chest, 'The body is essentially built to last and be easy to repair. You have your skeletal structure of metal and that's easy enough to work with. Instead of veins and nerves, you have your wiring. That can get tricky replacing because you can burn sections out and would have to replace all the wiring in that area, but as long as you do things properly that isn't much of a problem either. Looking at your metal hand, I can see where some of the wiring is stripped from wear and tear, does it twitch sometimes?' At Nick's nod, he continued, 'Replacing that wiring should stop the surges that cause the hand to twitch. Now your skin...here's where it starts to get tricky. All the complicated bits, the thin mesh that registers sensation, it's all layered within the skin. So once it's damaged, it's pretty much toast. I don't have enough know-how to be able to repair that...but once again, it is beautifully simple, as well...the panels appear to be easily interchangeable, you just have to get it all connected and run your diagnostics so it recognises it and it should come online. I don't know if I would be able to do your bare hand, at least not with the skin so that it had any kind of feeling. That is not panelling, it is moulded over the skeletal structure, but I would probably be able to cover it with the skin so it was sealed from the elements and you would have the rudimentary feeling that you have in it currently. Your neck and face...that may or may not be simple. If it's like the other panels, that's easy enough. If your optics are connected directly to it, that would make it more complicated. The easy route I can replace the panelling, if it doesn't look like it would be easy, then we could do the skin grafts I talked about before. The grafts wouldn't have feeling, but you would be sealed from the elements. You have coolant tubing and that is easy enough, I found the reservoir poking around in the Gen 2's, so we could always see how the levels are. There are some fans in your torso for additional cooling and those are simple enough. Now the parts I can't do. Your heart, your core, power source, whatever you want to call it...I wouldn't want to touch, I don't know enough about it to go fiddling with that without worrying about essentially killing you. And your memory core, brain, processor...that's completely beyond me and I would not want to reset you. Plus any extra bits you may have, I would have to look at before knowing if I could do anything with it, you're not exactly standard issue. So, yeah.'  
  
Nick blinked at Sturges and then chuckled, 'You are amazing, sir and do not give yourself enough credit. You could have been one hell of an engineer before the war. If I said yeah and we went ahead and did this, what would we need?'  
  
'Well, we pretty much have all the workbenches and tools that we need here. Quinn has those all set up. We'd just need some relatively undamaged Gen 2 synth bodies that I can pull apart for parts. If you want to do this, there's been reports of synth activity in Lexington. Could send a patrol that way and tell them to come back with the bodies.'  
  
'Sure, why not. It'd be nice to have some feeling back and not have to worry about things getting in my casing.'  
  
'Well, all right. Very good. Let me go talk to Preston, it will probably be several days, but we have plenty to work on till then.' Sturges clapped him on the back and went to find the Colonel.  
  
Nick briefly wondered what the hell he was doing, but even the passing thought of being able to feel Quinn's touch made him want to do it.  
  
-  
  
It was bad enough before, but now Quinn figured if she survived this, she was going to find a way to kill every single fucking molerat in the entire fucking country if she had to. If there were any surviving Vault-Tec people, she would probably kill them too.  
  
-  
  
(Fashion! - Lady Gaga)  
  
The morning had started out great. They found the clothing shop and Ellie met Ellie and despite the fact that they couldn't be more different, the two had seemed to hit it off and they rounded on Quinn with a shared goal when Ellie told her what was up. She didn't generally make clothing like that, most of it was fairly standard, and Quinn bought some more of her stuff and a badass leather coat with a fuzzy collar but the idea of doing some custom work was intriguing to her.  
First Quinn asked for some black vault suits, the blue was nice but not exactly stealthy. She had jumpsuits, but everyone had dissolved into giggles when Quinn had tried one, so that was a big fat no unless Ellie altered it heavily to accommodate her ass and height. Then she had to strip down to get measured...Ellie's brother, the guard, was professional and everything while she was standing there in her undies but every time he glanced in their direction Quinn would wink or blow kisses at him till the man started blushing. Ellie found that extremely amusing and told the ladies that he needed a good boffing if anyone was interested, she was tired of him being cranky. Ellie and Piper obviously did not understand what boffing was and when Quinn explained it to them, the three of them turned to Elijah, looking at him approvingly. That apparently was too much for the man and he said that he would be outside, making the four of them dissolve into giggles again.  
After all the measurements were made, Quinn got dressed while the other three sketched out ideas for the undergarments and dresses. She had tried to add her input, but apparently, her ideas were too conservative and immediately turned down. The only time they allowed her input was when they asked her what her favourite colours were. After 20-30 minutes, Ellie had several sketches done and they moved on to fitting the other two woman.  
Quinn ducked out to have a cigarette, nearly bumping face first into Elijah's back. She sat down in one of the chairs, looking up at him.  
  
'Sorry if I was a bit much, you're adorable with you blush though.'  
  
He just chuckled and shook his head, lighting her cigarette, 'It's nice to have some people around, we've had a rough go since we came from Rivet City.' At her blank look, he explained further, 'It's a city in the Capital Wasteland.'  
  
Quinn just shrugged, 'I'm kinda new here myself, so I am not familiar with places yet, things have changed a lot since the last time I was here.'  
  
'Ah, well you can understand how rough it can be settling in.'  
  
'Yeah, I get that. So you guys are set up here, do you sell at any other shops besides Fallon's in Diamond City?'  
  
'We've been trying to get around and make deals, but since we're not familiar with all the places, it is a little slow going. Doesn't help that I got hurt when we first got here.'  
  
'Well, how about this, talk with your sister and see if we can come to some kind of agreement. I want something a little more protective than the standard Minuteman issue. If Ellie can make some lined jumpsuits or armour for the Minutemen, I'd be open to making a bulk deal and probably ongoing deal if the ranks keep growing.'  
  
'Minutemen, eh? And you're authorised to make a deal like that.'  
  
Quinn winked at him, taking another drag, 'I hope so, I'm their General.'  
  
'But you're just a tiny thing, your nose barely reaches my chest.'  
  
She couldn't help the snort and laugh that came out, 'Me, tiny...that's a first. Yes, I'm short, but I can handle myself thank you very much.' Arching an eyebrow at him.  
  
Piper came out and asked Quinn to come back in for an opinion on her things and soon enough they were packing up, with a guarantee that their items would be done in a week. They were heading out when she stopped in front of Elijah, slightly closer than was appropriate.  
  
'My nose does to reach your chest.' Smirking up at him, 'Talk to Ellie, we'll be back in a week for our stuff. If she's good with it then we can talk prices and terms then.'  
  
She was about to turn and join Piper and Ellie when he grabbed her hand, 'Sure, I'll talk to her. Maybe next time you might join me for a drink at Diamond City?'  
  
'I might just do that.' With a wink, she turned to the others and they made their way back to Diamond City.  
  
'Jesus, Blue. How do you do that?'  
  
'Huh?'  
  
'He was practically ready to start slobbering on you like Dogmeat. How do you do it?'  
  
'I fake confidence really well.' At Piper's questioning look she continued on, 'If you asked me what I was like, I would generally say that I am fat, anxious, and depressed. But I trust you...for people that you don't know, how are you supposed to win their confidence if you're not confident? Even if your not, sometimes you just have to fake it till you make it. Be your own advocate.'  
  
She smiled at the woman and winked, 'Besides, he had a sexy voice. I'm a sucker for a good voice.'  
  
They laughed and chatted all the way back to the agency and Piper and Quinn left for Vault 81.  
  
-  
  
She was feeling lightheaded and her arm fucking hurt like hell.  
  
They had made it to Vault 81 and though they had to get permission for Piper to enter, they made it in and were granted access to trade. There was a cute kid, Austin that gave them a tour and brought them to meet his friend Erin. Erin asked for their help in getting her cat back and Quinn couldn't say no. She and Nate had always planned on having several children, she couldn't stop the pang of heartache she felt.  
They were on their way back up when Piper called her a sucker affectionately because Quinn knew she would have gone to help too.  
They ended up finding the damn cat sitting next to the pond that she had been warned about before. They were about to start heading back when a group of super mutants were wandering by. She really did not want to deal with them, she'd done okay against the one, but that was only because Diamond City security had come to help. They ducked into a nearby diner, sitting on the floor hiding, listening for them to pass. Quinn idly thought about what kind of weapon she would need to be slightly more confident facing the big green uglies.  
Eventually, they couldn't hear them anymore and she risked popping her head up to check, it looked clear and they booked it back to the vault.  
Erin thanked them for getting Ashes back, but apparently while they were out, Austin managed to get bitten by a mole rat. They went over to the medical centre to check on him and ended up volunteering to go and try to find something to help.  
  
_Piper was right, I'm a sucker._  
  
They had been making their was through the vault, taking care of the molerats and they found out about the sick plan Vault-Tec had had for Vault 81. They were making their way through the molerat pen area when one of them jumped for Piper's face, without thinking she stuck her arm out to block the thing. It clamped down and got a good chomp on her. They were able to get it off and shoot the damn thing, but Quinn was starting to feel off and she was worried that she may have gotten whatever it was that Austin had too.  
  
(Sail - AWOLNATION)  
  
'Blue! Pay attention, you okay?' She could see Piper's face in front of her, but it was like she was fuzzy around the edges.  
  
'Yeah, come on, need to find the thing for Austin.'  
  
Quinn tried to walk but ended up having to slump against the wall when her legs started to give out.  
  
'Well, fuck.'  
  
'Blue?'  
  
'I think I got whatever the fucking molerats are carrying when that one chomped on me. I feel weird.'  
  
'Oh shit, what should I do?'  
  
'Have to keep going, have to find vaccine manufacturing area....uh...what do I have in the bag? Stimpack me...and something to help with my strength...my legs are getting harder to work.'  
  
They healed the bite and tried the only thing that Piper could think of, Buffout. Quinn had heard about it before but the personal experience was certainly different. She felt like her heart might pound out of her chest, but it got her legs working again. Luckily they didn't have far to go, they found a room with the research terminal and a Miss Nanny who said she had a cure for the disease. Quinn told Piper to take it to Austin, that she would follow behind and the last thing she remembered was sitting down on the elevator floor with the bot fussing over her.  
  
_She has a cute voice._  
  
-  
  
The whine of the lights was making her head ache, she went to fling her arm over her head and screamed when she yanked something painfully.  
  
'WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKKK.'  
  
'Blue!'  
  
'Quinn, please calm yourself, you just ripped your IV out.'  
  
The sound of Dr Forsythe's voice triggered her memory. She was in Vault 81, Austin had gotten bit...  
  
_Shit, Austin..._  
  
She opened her eyes slowly, groaning at how bright everything seemed, but eventually, they adjusted enough for Quinn to see that she was lying in the vault's clinic.  
  
'Austin?'  
  
'Is just fine, you, however, need to calm yourself so we can put the IV back in. Do you remember being bitten?'  
  
'Yeah and we found the Miss Nanny with the cute voice...and I told Piper to bring the phial for Austin...and I don't know.'  
  
'Oh, madame, you passed out in the elevator but I am equipped with medical equipment and tended to you until the security men arrived.'  
  
Quinn tilted her head and saw the bot floating at the other side of the clinic, going through supplies or something.  
  
'You're a hero Blue, you saved Austin. We were worried you were going to be out for a while, it's already been a week.'  
  
'Yes, well she needed to rest and fight off the infection. You were infected with the same disease that Austin had, but with only the single dose of the cure, you have been forced to fight it off naturally. You are likely going to be weak for an extended period of time and you may never get your strength fully back.'  
  
'Well isn't that just fucking great.'  
  
'Oh, Miss Quinn is using some bad language.'  
  
'Shit...I mean shoot, hi kiddo! How are you feeling?' She smiled brightly, seeing Austin, Dr Penske, and Overseer McNamara come in.  
  
'I had to rest too, but I feel much better now! I got lots of pie and some comics! I was going to bring you some pie, but I ate it all. So, I brought you this comic, it's from everyone in the class. Miss Piper came and talked to us and she told us you fought a Deathclaw, is that true?' Austin looked at her expectantly.  
  
'Yup, I fought it off in some power armour with a minigun. When I ran out of ammo I had to use a lamppost to defend myself.'  
  
'Woooow, that is so cool. Can I get some power armour gran?'  
  
'Maybe when you're older, now head back to class and let Miss Quinn rest.'  
  
'Okay, bye Miss Quinn!'  
  
'Thank you, thank you so much for saving my Austin.' The older woman teared up and Quinn reached out, giving Dr. Penske's hand a squeeze.  
  
'I'm happy I was able to help him, he's a good kid.'  
  
Overseer McNamara stepped forward, 'And you are a good woman Quinn, we've cleared a room and set it up for you, you're welcome back here at any time and welcome to stay.'  
  
'Thank you, thank you very much, but we'll need to head out at some point, I have Minutemen duties to attend to.'  
  
'Well, as I said, the room is yours and thank you again.'  
  
The doctor got her all hooked back and shooed everyone away, she woke back up later that evening and was feeling a bit better so went to go check out her new room. It was somewhat spartan but nice enough and she lay down on the bed, already tired from walking that short distance. She fell back into a restless sleep and woke sometime the next day to Piper shaking her.  
  
'Blue, hey Blue...time to get up. How ya feeling?'  
  
'Ugh.'  
  
'Well, I have some coffee for you and one of the vaulties came by and brought this weird drink he said the doctor sent. It looks like gooey Quantum. Man, that guy was weird, why would he want to wear sunglasses indoors?'  
  
Quinn blinked, trying to get her brain up to speed and sat up slowly. Piper handed her the blue goo and she downed it in one gulp, making a weird face. 'It's like aloe water but tastes like Mentats or something. Yuck. That was weird. Coffee pleaseeeeeee.'  
  
'What's aloe water?'  
  
Quinn just waved dismissively and sipped the coffee with a little moan. 'What time is it?'  
  
'It's just after 9, but I figured I better check with you and see what the plan is, how are you feeling? Do you need more rest? I'm just worried because you told the guys a week and it's already past that and with you moving slow, it might take us a day or two to get back to Sanctuary. Should I send word or something?'  
  
'No, we should probably go. We're already going to be late getting back to get the clothes. We'll have to check and see if there is anyone swinging by Diamond City, see if they can get a note to Ellie.'  
  
'Oh and that Miss Nanny, she said she wanted to ask you something before we left.'  
  
'Okay, well, let me get up and we'll get things taken care of.'  
  
She finished the coffee and stood, surprisingly feeling a fair amount better. She went across the way and checked with Erin's mum to see what there was to trade. She ended up picking up an awesome combat rifle and couldn't wait to mod the hell out of it. It could probably be good enough to deal with the damn mutants. She also had some awesome armour, but it was way out of her price range, maybe later. She stopped by and talked with the overseer, then Dr Penske, then the classroom to say bye to the kids. Eventually, she found herself in the clinic where she was told the Miss Nanny was. She eventually agreed and Curie was very excited to be joining them. She figured they were pretty much ready to go at that point.  
  
'Oh, Dr Forsythe thanks for that blue goo drink you sent over. I feel a lot better after that.'  
  
'The what? I'm sorry Quinn, but I did not send anything over. Where did it come from?'  
  
'Piper said someone in a Vault 81 suit gave her the drink, saying it was from you.'  
  
He frowned and said that he had not and asked her to hop on the table for a check over before they left.  
  
'Well, I am not sure who the mysterious person was, but your numbers are in much better shape today and besides the fatigue from the last few days, you seem to be doing well. Please, be careful and rest often.'  
  
'Okay, thanks, doc. Let's go, Curie.'  
  
-  
  
They found a trader that was heading towards Diamond City and paid him some caps to pass a note on to Ellie and started their trek back to Sanctuary. They were in luck as they happened to run into several Minutemen that were hanging around Oberland Station. There were several more turrets and some guard posts in place, along with a couple shacks with beds. Sturges had apparently sent them to get things set up and help out there. One of them was heading back to Sanctuary with a brahmin that had wandered into the settlement. Since they were trying to set up the trade routes, they were going to need several brahmin and even though it was incredibly awkward, riding the brahmin saved Quinn from getting too tired. They made a quick stop and confirmed that the water had been taken care of for Greygarden and then they were on their way again.  
It was just getting dark when they reached the bridge and Quinn could see that they had been busy here, as well. There was now a couple guard posts flanking the one end of the bridge and the start of a wall, the guard called out to them.  
  
'Who goes there?'  
  
'It's your bloody General and she's hurt so go find the Colonel or something.' Piper was hungry and irritated and all she wanted was to take advantage of the bath and find a bed.  
  
Quinn chuckled at her, 'Thank you, darling, go take care of yourself, I'm sure one of them will be along to fuss over me shortly.'  
  
Piper was just walking away when Preston came running. Dogmeat ran with him, barking and jumping all around excited, scaring the brahmin. He lifted her off the brahmin despite her insistence that she could walk and she just sighed and introduced Curie as he started carrying her back to the house.  
  
'What the hell happened General? You don't look well and you've lost even more weight. Dogmeat, go lie down.'  
  
'Ugh, let's just get back to the house and you can grab Sturges and Nick and I can tell you all at once. Piper is tired and cranky and went to take a bath. She'll probably need a drink and some food after she's done. And maybe Codsworth can show Curie around and where all the medical supplies are, Curie helped take care of me and she can make stimpacks. I'm so tired. You guys have been busy, I like the guard towers. How have things been going?'  
  
'Things are great, we've had another 12 people come because of the beacon and then there was one older guy that said you sent him.'  
  
'Oh, Sheffield made it, that's good.'  
  
'We got the other guard towers up, we got a couple people over to Abernathy's to help. We now have a supply route between here and Abernathy's and with the brahmin you just came with, we can get one set up to Red Rocket and one to Tenpines. We sent one out temporarily to Oberland Station and after they dropped things off it got assigned to Greygarden.'  
  
'Aw, shit...we forgot to check in with Tenpines after everything.'  
  
'That's fine General, I'd rather you be okay than running around like this. Now, we have a couple more surprises for you, close your eyes.'  
  
Quinn narrowed her eyes but did as he requested and she could hear the sounds of all those extra people around the settlement. After a little more walking Preston came to a halt.  
  
'Okay, I'm going to hang onto you, because I don't want you falling over, but you can open your eyes now.'  
  
'Oh, god, should I be worried?' But she opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the darkness and then it slowly registered....her old house....it was gone and there were some tire swings...and on one of the tire swings was...  
  
'Nicky?'  
  
'Hey, doll...what kinda trouble did you get yourself into this time?'  
  
'But...wha...how?'  
  
He chuckled and it made her so happy to hear that, after he had been so distant when they had left, 'I, uh took Sturges up on his offer for a check up and he spruced me up a little, what do you think?'  
  
He walked forward to them and Quinn reached out for him, touching his face softly. The holes were gone and his skin wasn't so rough, she looked him up and down, but couldn't tell if there was anything else with his coat on. He raised his metal hand, flexing it a few times.  
  
'He tried covering my old hand, but we couldn't quite get that to work, so we might have to try that again later. But he replaced all the wiring and gave me a little bit of weather proofing. All my old skin panels were replaced with new ones, so no more holes and dead spots. I feel like a new synth.' Chuckling a bit, smiling at her.  
  
'It is great, where is Sturges? And the house....oh my god.' She started tearing up and all of a sudden Preston and Nick looked panicked and she shook her head, 'Thank you, I...it hurt too much to see it anymore...and the swings and stuff...it's amazing.'  
  
'Well, Nick had this great idea that we should have a park area for when you bring your son home. So, we all helped get it down and cleared away. Marcy found some seeds, so we seeded the area with grass...we don't know if it will take, but we thought we could try.'  
  
Quinn was crying now and she hugged Preston tight around the neck, giving him a kiss on the cheek, then reached out for Nick. He stepped in for a hug and she ended up wrapping her arms around his neck and sliding into his arms, crying against his shoulder.  
  
'Thank you guys.'  
  
'You're welcome, doll. It was the least we could do to help cheer you up. But we still have one more thing for you.'  
  
'Oh god, I don't know how much more I can cry.'  
  
'Well, let's go get this done then you can tell us what happened and we can get you to bed.'  
  
She rested her head on Nick's shoulder and ran a finger along his jawline and neck, 'The skin is all soft now.' She could feel the rumble as he chuckled and they stopped in front of the bathhouse and Quinn looked up curiously.  
  
Sturges came wandering out with a big ol' grin and then frowned when he saw she was being carried by Nick, 'What did you do now darlin?'  
  
'Bahhhhhhhhh I'm okay, mostly...what's this surprise supposed to be?'  
  
Nick put her down gently and Sturges took her hand, leading her inside. The wash tub was now in the living room along with another two. The walls had been patched up and the rooms had doors now. She could hear was she assumed was Piper splashing in the bath, but Sturges pulled her into one of the other rooms that had been empty. She saw the shower and squealed.  
  
'Realllllly? It works? Should I get down on a knee to propose to you, Sturges? I love you...running water!'  
  
She could hear Piper laughing in the other room and Nick and Preston laughing outside. Sturges blushed a little and Quinn realised he hadn't been doing that as much, guess it's harder to get embarrassed after you've been sleeping next to someone somewhat frequently. Sturges reached over and turned the water on and held her hand under it as WARM water came out. She was bouncing and clapping when she suddenly got dizzy and had to lean against Sturges.  
  
'Quinn, you okay? Let's get you to the house, you're shaking.'  
  
He scooped her up and she just laughed, 'I'm tired and cold...it's like musical arms tonight, who else is going to carry me?' She started giggling and Sturges watched her like she was crazy, but she was so tired and happy and they were so nice.  
  
'How did you get so much done?'  
  
'With all the new hands, I was able to take care of things a lot quicker. Having people fetch and carry while I worked on things and brahmin to help with the heavy lifting. We'll probably want to upgrade the generator at some point and monitor the water in case we need to build an additional tower now that we have the baths and showers and more people.'  
  
They got to the house and someone had brought her bags in, Sturges setting her down on the couch gently, Nick handing her some water and a bowl of something.  
  
'What's this?'  
  
Preston peered in the bowl as he pulled over one of the dining chairs, sitting across from her. 'Looks like some of the tato soup. One of the new gals, she is a damn good cook and doesn't mind doing it, so she's been making most the community meals.'  
  
'Mmmmm.' It was quite good and it was nice and warm, but she was still shivering a little. Nick came wandering out with her quilt, wrapping it around her, and he sat on one side with Sturges on the other and she was surrounded by warmth.  
  
'Okay, doll. So what happened. You've lost more weight and your eyes are all sunken in with dark circles. You look like you've been through hell sweetheart.'  
  
She sighed and put the bowl down, taking a sip of water first, 'Well, checked in with Greygarden and Oberland and got to Diamond City just fine. The next day me and Piper and Ellie went to this new clothing maker just outside of Diamond City. Oh, that reminds me, Preston...depending on what she says, we may have a supplier for Minutemen gear, not just the usual but jumpsuits with shielding or stuff like that and armour pieces. So, the patrols can be a little more protected. Anyways, got that done then Piper and I made for Vault 81. We got in and were helping around with some stuff when one of the little boy's, Austin, he got bit by this molerat and it had some kind of disease and he was getting so sick so fast. So, Piper and I went looking to see if there was any kind of vaccination...it's crazy, Vault-Tec intended Vault 81 to be a fucking test ground for diseases, but the original overseer wouldn't do it. So there was this entire science section that they didn't even know about. The molerats were like the original test subject that they used to infect and test things on. We were running through and I got bit. Then we found Curie and the cure and Piper went to bring it to them and I passed out in the elevator.'  
  
'Pfft, Blue. You're glossing over a fair amount there...Blue got bit saving my face from being eaten by practically stuffing her arm in the molerats mouth as it chomped down. She started going all weak and stuff so after a stimpack and some buffout, we found Curie. And she had the cure, but there was only one dose and she gave that to the kid. She was fighting off the disease and was asleep for a week. She had a bad fever and was out of it, so she didn't eat or drink, just got IV fluids and medicine to keep her sedated. The doc said that she's going to be weak for a bit and that her full strength may never come back. Whatever those little buggers were carrying was really bad.' Piper pulled up a chair like Preston had, still drying her hair.  
  
Quinn rolled her eyes and sighed, 'It has left me pretty weak but they gave me my very own room in the Vault, I got an awesome rifle, we have another merchant we can trade with, we have Curie and she is just adorable, and Greygarden and Oberland Station were looking good. Need to get back to the clothing shop to get...' Quinn couldn't stop the yawn, nearly dropping the bowl of soup, blinking at them.  
  
'You're not going anywhere for at least another week, more if you still look like death.' Nick took the bowl of soup from her hands, 'We can talk more in the morning, you need to get to bed.'  
  
Quinn stuck her tongue out at him, trying to stifle another yawn, 'You're not my mom.' Winking at his chuckle, slumping over on the couch.  
  
'Nuh uh, come on you.' Sturges scooped her up blanket and all and brought her back, depositing her on the bed. 'Sleep, one of us will be back in a bit.'  
  
Quinn fell asleep, listening to them talking in the living room and it felt good to be back.


	2. I Know What I Don't Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick struggles with jealousy, Quinn loves her new clothes, buys a house, and goes on a quasi-date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mods Referenced:  
> Eli's Armour Compendium  
> Aloot's Home Plate Nexus Port  
> [XB1] Home Plate Exterior Revamped  
> Black Vault Suits (XB1)
> 
> Ellie and Elijah ended up becoming a bigger part of this chunk than was ever intended, what can I say, I like that mod a lot.
> 
> This chapter was a rough one because I was trying to do justice to Nick's feelings and I still feel like it wasn't enough. He's struggling with feelings that he has memories of having, but that as a synth he's never actually dealt with.
> 
> Also, I love Sturges, I think he would be a great cuddler.
> 
> I didn't go into detail as much, but Quinn essentially has nightmares almost every night. It has just started to slack off a little bit as she feels safe with someone like Sturges or Nick.

'Okay, what the fuck is up with you today Nick? And don't try and fucking wave me off like that, you've been a snarky bastard all morning.'  
  
Quinn glared at him across their desks, they were back at the agency and Quinn was sitting at her new desk. Ellie's desk was now against the far side wall, Nick's desk was essentially in the same position facing the door and Quinn's was adjacent to it so they formed an L-shape with the support beam for the corner. The client chair was placed so that it could face either of their desks.  
Ellie had done a fair amount of cleaning and reorganising and the agency looked great but Nick had protested when they first walked in, worrying that they didn't have enough to spruce things up. Quinn told him not to worry about it, Ellie had looked the other way when Quinn had contributed a bunch of caps to the petty cash box before she last left. That had also gone to getting a new couch and chair so there was actual seating for guests in the loft.  
When Nick ignored her again, she went around and sat in the client chair, glaring at him again. He tried ignoring her but eventually looked up from the file he was focusing on.  
  
'Have fun in the shower this morning?'  
  
'Really. REALLY, Nick? That's why you're being all pissy?'  
  
Quinn threw her hands up and went upstairs to change. They had gotten into Diamond City early and came straight to the agency to see what cases there were since they'd been away. He had been grumbling and muttering things under his breath all morning and she couldn't take it anymore.  
  
She changed into one of her vault suits, the long leather duster, and her worn fedora. After strapping on her weapons and getting her bag ready, she went downstairs, making for the door.  
Nick frowned at her and asked where she was going and she spun around, staying by the door because suddenly she felt so angry she was scared to get closer to him.  
  
(Scared To Be Lonely - Martin Garrix, Dua Lipa)  
  
'Why the fuck would it matter to you where I was going? You've avoided me the past two weeks, do you even care? And I told you, Sturges...we're just friends, so you know what, you forfeited your right to give any fucks about that. I tried talking to you nearly every day....you know what, never mind. It doesn't even matter at this point. I made it really clear how I felt and you obviously did not return the sentiment. What I do is my business. You have a problem with that? You knew where you could find me and you didn't.'  
  
She ran out, slamming the door hard enough to make the walls shake.  
  
-  
  
They'd ended up staying in Sanctuary two weeks so she could rest up but she was actually feeling much better. The morning after they got back to Sanctuary, they found a box with more of the blue gel on the doorstep, and a note stating that it was for the General. They were all weirded out because no one had seen anyone drop the box off and they didn't know what the hell it was but after Curie did some tests they found out it was something called biogel. It had healing/regenerative properties after Curie assured them it was a good thing and that it would help her recover, so she tried it. By the time she'd finished the phials off, she was feeling nearly back to normal.  
  
It had been an odd two weeks.  
  
Nick was always around, doing whatever he could to help but beyond the first day, he was extremely careful not to touch her. There was never a moment where it was just the two of them alone and he had not been sitting with her at night anymore. Piper had to leave after a few days to go check on Nat and Preston had been feeling like he might be catching something, so Curie insisted that he stay away till Quinn was feeling better, so that left Sturges.  
He didn't mind staying with her and they fell into a comfortable routine where they would often talk plans or she would read A Midsummer Night's Dream to him before they fell asleep. She would probably consider him her closest friend at this point and they'd gotten very comfortable with each other.  
  
At the end of the first week, they were just starting to get up, still half asleep when Sturges pulled her back for a snuggle, they had just started to drift off again when Quinn could feel him growing hard behind her. They both stilled, they were fully awake at that point, but neither was willing to make the first move and potentially make things awkward. At the sound of everyone else starting to wake, they both rolled away with a laugh, blushing brightly. He placed an affectionate kiss on the tip of her nose and told her to go back to bed, leaving to go get dressed and start working on the wall.  
She tried lying there for a bit longer, but she knew she wasn't going to fall back asleep. They wouldn't let her do any heavy work and she felt like she was slowly going crazy. If she sat still too long she'd start overthinking everything, so she spent her time upgrading everyone's weapons.  
  
She had tricked out Preston's laser musket, made Sturges take the 10mm that she had been using, took care of several of the new settler's weapons...the only one left was Nick.  
She didn't know what was going on, he'd been affectionate that first day back, but now it was like he was going out of his way to avoid her. She finally found him down by the wall with Sturges, helping build the next section. Quinn rolled her eyes when she heard them talking something about their intentions towards her, it would have been sweet if they had asked her what she wanted, but instead, she was trying not to be annoyed that she was not a participant in that particular conversation.  
  
'Nick, can I see your pistol? I'm trying to upgrade everyone's weapons.'  
  
Both the men jumped, Sturges flushing as she walked up and she suspected Nick would have too if he were capable.  
  
'Oh, yeah doll, here you go.'  
  
Quinn turned the simple pipe pistol over in her hands, it was worn with age and dinged up in places. Even if she hadn't seen him use it, she would have noticed that he'd used his metal hand, just from the grooves in the grip.  
  
'Are you particularly attached to this one?' At his nod, Quinn nodded back, 'Okay, let me go spiff this one up, but I want you to take this one, as well.'  
  
He tried to protest, but she handed him Old Faithful and didn't take no for an answer. If she had her way, everyone would have a few weapons, just in case.  
It was around lunch when she finished with the pistol, she had changed the receiver so she stopped and grabbed some ammo from the stores they were building up, and the new settler Lisa - that had been doing all the cooking - handed her a couple plates with some grilled radstag and corn.  
After thanking her, she wandered back down to where they were working, they had finished another section and were about to start enclosing the graveyard area. She could tell they had been talking about her again, by the way they went quiet when she got close. She handed Sturges one of the plates of food and Nick his pistol. She sat on the ground nearby with her own plate, Sturges coming to sit with her as Nick got the feel for his new pistol.  
  
'Mmhhmff, oh..yeah, new ammo.' Quinn mumbled around a bite of corn, pulling the rounds from her cargo pants pocket and passing them to Nick.  
  
'Ahh, thanks, doll. This is amazing, I'm sure it will serve me really good.' He tried to hand Old Faithful back and she just shook her head.  
  
'Nope, you keep both.'  
  
'But, Quinn...'  
  
'No, I want you to have it...it was the gun I got from Arturo to help when I went to find you and I think it fitting that you have it to protect you. I want you to keep both, that way if something happens to one, you always have the other.'  
  
He saw that she wasn't going to give up and thanked her again, holding both and looking lost for a moment.  
  
'If you come by the house, I can fit you with another holster for Old Faithful and you still have your shoulder holster for your pipe pistol. We might need to adjust it to accommodate the new receiver. Does it have a name?' When he shook his head she looked up at him, 'I was calling it Marlowe's Pen.'  
  
She beamed at him when he smirked, probably the only person in the world that would get the dual reference.  
  
'Cute, doll.'  
  
The rest of the next week passed slowly and Quinn got more and more frustrated as Nick avoided her. Even when he came to adjust the holster, he had Preston there with him, taking about different locations that might have potential for settlements.  
There had been a few more snuggles with Sturges that had started turning a little...friendlier, but they hadn't acted on it thus far.  
Towards the end of the week, Nick and Quinn agreed to go check in with Ellie and see what was up and so Quinn could go talk to the other Ellie and get her items. They got everything ready and Quinn got up nice and early so she could take a shower before they left, making their goodbyes.  
  
Quinn first noticed his odd behaviour as they were walking past Red Rocket, trying to strike up a conversation, but Nick was very brusque with her. She tried again a few more times, but he just pushed forward and she gave up.  
  
-  
  
Nick slumped, hiding his face in his hands with a sigh, 'What the hell is wrong with you, Valentine?' He sat there trying to figure out what to do if had been capable of crying he thought that he might have.  
  
(I Apologize - Five Finger Death Punch)  
  
Ellie walked in just at that moment, 'Nick? What's up? When did you get back, is Quinn here too?' Busying herself as she set something on Quinn's desk and going to her own. 'Nick?'  
  
He was about to answer when Piper came barreling in, making them jump and started yelling, 'What the hell did you do, Nicky? Quinn just ran out crying and she was out the gate before I could stop her.'  
  
Nick looked up, but they were momentarily distracted at the shriek when Ellie actually took a look at him and saw the new upgrades.  
  
'Oh my god, Nick! Your face, your neck!'  
  
'Yes, he's all pretty now. Now, what the hell did you say to Quinn?' Piper was standing there with her palms on the edge of the desk, glaring at Nick. She softened just a little when she saw the pain on his face and sat down in the client chair, 'Talk, mister.'  
  
'I...I got upset...I don't know. I've never...'  
  
Ellie patted him on the shoulder, 'It's okay Nick, just start at the beginning and tell us what happened.'  
  
He cleared his throat awkwardly, looking at the floor, 'Did she tell you...ah, about what happened before she left last time?'  
  
Piper snorted, 'Yup.'  
  
Nick groaned, rubbing his face with his good hand, 'I...I didn't..know how to react. I..while you guys were gone, I wanted to do something nice for Quinn...she didn't want her old house anymore...so we tore it down and made it a park for when she finds Shaun. Sturges...had offered to check me over. He said he could replace my panels, I thought it would be nice.' He looked down at his hands, clenching his metal hand into a fist. 'She deserves better than an old bot with someone else's memories.'  
  
'Oh, bullshit Nicky.' Both Nick and Ellie looked at Piper in surprise, Quinn had to have been rubbing off on her, the reporter had started swearing a lot more recently and it's not like she had a pure mouth before. 'She's had googly eyes for you ever since you two came back from that vault and don't even try and tell me you're not madly in love with her. I have never seen you look this way...ever...and you were one of the first people I met here. So what the hell is the problem and why did she go running out of here crying. What happened after I left Sanctuary? You were avoiding her before I left, which was driving her nuts, by the way.'  
  
'When we were showing her around...she kept touching my face. I didn't know what to do. It has feeling again, I didn't know it would be so nice.' Nick sighed and smacked his hand on his desk, 'I don't know how to handle all this...I saw her with Sturges a lot and then she yelled for him while she was in the shower this morning and I got so mad. She asked me what was wrong and I asked her if she had a good time in the shower.' He frowned, pulling his pack out and lighting a cigarette, glaring at the desk.  
  
'You got jealous, Nick. Do you...does old Nick not have any memories of being jealous?' Ellie looked at him sympathetically, pulling her chair over and sitting at his side. 'It can happen when you care about someone, lord knows I've felt it before, but do you even know if they actually did something?'  
  
'Well, no...but they've been getting closer and she gave him a kiss before we left. She told me it was none of my business...'  
  
Piper rolled her eyes, taking one of Nick's cigarettes, 'She kissed me when I left Nicky, are you jealous of me too? Quinn's very affectionate if you somehow haven't noticed. And even if they did do something, would that really stop you? She told me once there's sex and love and they're on different levels for her. Did she say anything about where she was going?'  
  
Nick sighed and stubbed his cigarette out, 'Yesterday she said something about going to see Ellie about clothes.'  
  
'Oh, the other Ellie and Elijah. Well, that's not too far.' Piper relaxed just a little.  
  
'Who. Is. Elijah?' Both the women's eyebrows shot up at the heat in his voice.  
  
'Oh dear god, whoa boy. Ellie, the other Ellie, is the one who was making some clothes for us. She's the one that Quinn wanted to talk with about making Minutemen gear. Elijah is her brother and the guard for the shop, they're just outside the gates a little bit.' Piper watched his face, putting out her cigarette, as well.  
  
Nick moved to stand up and Piper stood, blocking the door, 'No, Nick. Not yet. Give her some space and if she's not back by this afternoon, then we can go hunt her down. You need to chill out and figure out how you're going to apologise to her. Besides, you walk in there and start glaring at Elijah, she's just going to get even madder at you.'  
  
Ellie sighed, nodding a little, 'Nick, you need to think about this a little. She's the second biggest flirt I know, and that's behind only Hancock AND she's a lot easier on the eyes. If you're going to get mad every single time she flirts with someone and they look at her, then you're both just going to be constantly mad. Is that something you're going to be able to learn to live with? From what she's said, I gathered her relationship with her husband was...open, concerning things like sex and affection...is that something you can live with?'  
  
Nick laughed a little bitterly, 'I don't know. I've never felt this way and I can't remember Nick ever feeling this strongly either, I remember him being jealous from time to time and he had a hot head, but he'd never let a dame get him so wound up. Why does it bother me so much?'  
  
'Welcome to love, my dear. Making fools of people since the beginning of man.' Ellie patted his hand sympathetically and went back to her desk. Apparently, that signalled the end of the discussion, Piper grabbing the door handle.  
  
'I have a story to go work on. If you go looking for her, you better come grab me Nick but wait for later. She's mad, but I can't see her staying away too long.'  
  
Nick just waved at her as she went out, frowning at his desk. Eventually, he stood, 'I'm going to go run some diagnostics, come get me if something comes up?'  
  
'Sounds good, Nick.'  
  
He went upstairs, sighing when he saw the new furniture and just sat down on the couch, hoping the diagnostics would help pass the time.  
  
-  
  
She had calmed down slightly after running out of the stadium. She'd nearly run into Piper, but she just did not want to deal with any of it right now.  
  
_After fucking ignoring me, now this...bullshit._  
  
She kicked a can lying on the ground and immediately regretted it when she heard the growl from the other side of the chain-link fence. She pulled out the gun she took off Kellogg and walked towards the hole in the fence slowly. The mongrel came dashing forward, startling her, her first shot going slightly wild. She backpedalled rapidly and took a deep breath before trying again, catching the mutt right in the face. She could hear another one and kept the pistol trained on the opening, catching it as ran through, then another came dashing for her.  
The loud rifle shot from her left caught her by surprise and she jumped as the third mutt went down, looking down the alleyway to see Elijah standing there.  
  
'You okay there?'  
  
Quinn nodded a little, wiping her eyes and pulling herself together. She turned and walked down the alley towards him, pulling her hat off and stuffing it in her bag.  
  
'Oh, hey there Quinn, how are you doing? Are you okay? Your friend came by and told us that you had been injured and wouldn't be by for a bit. All better now?'  
  
She shrugged a little, wandering over to join him, 'I survived. How have you two been doing?'  
  
'Pretty great actually, your reporter friend put an ad in the paper in exchange for a bit of a discount and business has picked up. I talked with Ellie about your offer and she seemed interested, you'll have to hash things out with her.' He stopped just outside the shop, grumbling at one of the turrets that was sputtering sadly, 'I'm going to try and fix this damn thing again, I'll see you inside.'  
  
'If you can't get it, I'll take a look at it before I leave, I'm handy like that.' She gave him a lil grin and wandered in, 'Ellie?'  
  
'Well, if it isn't the General herself. I have had to listen to my brother singing the praises of your arse so much the past couple weeks, I should charge you extra for the mental trauma.'  
  
Quinn dissolved into giggles and Ellie looked at her with a frown, 'Whatcha been crying for?'  
  
Sighing she rubbed her eyes again. She had always had a hard time hiding that she'd been crying, her nose and eyebrows turned pink. 'Crying over an idiot.'  
  
'Ahhh, the one they were so keen on you getting some new knickers and the dresses for?'  
  
'The very same, anyways, Elijah said you were interested in my offer? Shall we talk business before we get into the clothes?'  
  
They spent a while and hashed out an agreement. They figured out what would be a fair rate for the armour. Quinn provided them with one of the Minutemen flare guns so they could summon assistance if needed while on the road and outlined that they would be welcome to trade with any of the settlements under Minuteman control.  
After they figured everything out, Ellie wandered to the back and came out with an armful of clothes.  
  
'Okay, here, go try your undergarments first.'  
  
Quinn stepped into the back and examined the bra and panty sets that Ellie had made. The first was a black lace set and Quinn marvelled at how something could manage to cover everything, but still be extremely sexy, just a hint of ass cheek peeking out from underneath. The other two sets were just slightly more conservative, but they were in Quinn's favourite colours, teal and purple. She wandered out in the purple set, beaming at Ellie.  
  
'You are amazing, Ellie.'  
  
'I'll say...'  
  
Quinn laughed when Elijah poked his head around the corner and gave her a wink, grabbing a toolbox and heading back outside.  
  
'Good, good...how were the black ones? Not falling out anywhere?' Ellie circled her, making sure the fit was good. She pulled one of the dresses out and helped Quinn into it.  
  
The first dress was a simple but elegant black wrap dress, after making a few quick adjustments, they moved to the next one. The second was a pretty purple floral summer dress, Ellie had to adjust the hem for Quinn's height, but was otherwise satisfied with it. Ellie told her to wait there while she grabbed some more.  
  
'I thought I was just getting two?'  
  
'Well, your ladies had a few more ideas, so I have this and one more thing for you.'  
  
Quinn raised an eyebrow but held her hands out and gasped at the gorgeous cobalt blue dress she handed her. It was some kind of fabric that was so nice and soft, Quinn just rubbed her face on it. Ellie rolled her eyes and motioned for her to put it on. She pulled it over her head and was slightly terrified because it was very clingy.  
  
'Oh, dear god, you're going to be able to see all my rolls in this.'  
  
'Hush now, it looks amazing. Elijah, you want to back me up?' He came back inside at his sister's yell and stopped in his tracks.  
  
'Ah...oh...wow. Yes.' Quinn blushed at the heat in his gaze, nothing like some appreciation to boost the battered ego.  
  
'I think he likes it.' Ellie chortled and moved Quinn in front of the mirror and she had to once again marvel at what a miracle worker Ellie was.  
The dress actually covered her more than the other two. It had 3/4 sleeves and landed just below her knees, with a scoop neck showing just a tiny amount of cleavage. But it was so clingy it left little to the imagination, she had to chuckle a little imagining Nick's face and then frowned at the thought.  
  
(Occupy Your Mind - Villagers)  
  
'You don't like it?'  
  
'No, no...I love it. I just hope that it doesn't go to waste since the one it was supposed to impress hasn't been talking with me.' She sighed and pulled it off, 'I love it though.'  
  
'Well, if he doesn't pull his head out of his arse, then I'm sure you can wear it and easily catch another. Now try this.'  
  
Elijah went wandering back out. Instead of another dress, Ellie handed her a leather skirt. Quinn arched an eyebrow and stepped into it, laughing as she zipped it up. It was sexy as hell and would look great with a variety of different tops, but was not practical in the slightest. Pencil cut and tight like the dress had been, Quinn had to take smaller steps to be able to walk in it.  
  
'Is there something we can do to make it easier to move in? I feel like if I have to move with any kind of speed, I'll fall over.'  
  
'I can cut a slit so you can move a little better, you'll just be showing a little more leg. Do you want the slit in the back or at the side?'  
  
'Mmmm, back I guess.'  
  
'Okay, well that's all the fun stuff. If you want to try your black vault suits, I'll go fix the skirt up really quick.'  
  
Quinn grabbed one of the suits and loved it, but changed back into her 111 suit for the time being. Taking some time to pin her hair up while Ellie was still working.  
  
'Ellie, I'll be right back, going out for a smoke.' She yelled and stepped outside, nearly bumping into Elijah again. 'Do you stand there on purpose hoping someone will walk into you?'  
  
'Only you.'  
  
Quinn snorted and pulled out a cigarette, but didn't light it because she heard the pathetic sputtering of the turret. 'Still giving you grief? Let me take a look.' She sat on the ground, dragging his toolbox over and started disassembling the turret to see what was wrong.  
  
'Ellie's right, if he can look at you in that dress and not appreciate it, he's not worth it.'  
  
Quinn just snorted a little, 'Why is everyone so interested in my love life? Maybe I should just stop worrying about that for now. Bad enough worrying about everything else, how it is now.'  
  
'How it is now?'  
  
'Oh...yeah. Did you read Piper's article about the vault dweller?'  
  
'Yeah, a bit far-fetched though, right? The one about the mayor being a synth was pretty damn entertaining.'  
  
'Ha, I wish.' At his questioning look, she motioned to her vault suit.  
  
'Holy shit, really?'  
  
'Really.' She sighed and turned back to the turret while the gears turned in his head. She found the problem fairly quickly in the motor and went to work fixing it.  
  
'I'm sorry about your husband and son.'  
  
'Thank you.' Quinn sighed and finished reassembling the turret, giving it a pat as it putt-putted happily. 'There ya go.'  
  
'Damn, thank YOU, Quinn. Sounds like it's running even better than before.'  
  
Quinn stood and wiped her hands on a rag and sat down, lighting her cigarette.  
  
'What was it like, back then? You don't have to answer if you don't want, just..curious.' He sat in the chair next to her and took the offered pack and lit a cigarette for himself.  
  
'What the hell are ya doing taking so long? I need you to come try this skirt again and see if this works.' Ellie poked her head out of the door, Elijah hushing her as Quinn thought about her answer.  
  
'It's hard to even begin to describe it...it was so much greener. So much life. So much movement. Everyone was always on the run, had somewhere to be, something to do...didn't stop to appreciate things like green grass, clean water. People seem a lot nicer and more honest now to me though. I guess when you have to potentially worry about placing your life in someone's hands it makes for interesting bedfellows.' She stopped and took a drag, looking down at the ground, 'Sorry, just...can't..too much.'  
  
'Hey, hey, it's okay...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad.' Elijah and Ellie were looking at her with such...pity, she wanted to crawl under a rock.  
  
'It's okay. I'm here now and I'm going to do everything I can to find my son and make this a decent place to bring him home to.' She stubbed out the cigarette and went back in to try the skirt on. It worked out much better, so then they spent time, calculating the cost for everything. Quinn was upset because she felt like they weren't charging enough, but Ellie just told her to keep pointing people in their direction and it would all work out. She said she would have the first order of Minutemen stuff done in a couple weeks. Quinn loaded her bag up with everything and dropped her hat on her head.  
  
'Okay, I need to go check on something. If I can't make it next time, I'll send my lieutenant or another minuteman to settle up and get the suits, okay? Thank you so much, Ellie. Everything is amazing.'  
  
She wandered out and snorted at Elijah standing in front of the door AGAIN, 'Next time you do that, I'm so smacking your ass. Fair warning.'  
  
'Well, I'll make sure to do it again then. Did you think about my offer from last time?' He was watching her face and at her hesitation, he went on. 'Just a beer and some company, doesn't have to be more than that. You're fun to talk with, but I understand if you're feeling for someone else.'  
  
'...Okay then. How about we grab some noodles first? Find me at Takahashi's 7ish?' Quinn gave him a lil smile, blushing when he perked up.  
  
'Sounds good...and you know, if you wanted to wear one of those new lil numbers, I would not object in the slightest.'  
  
Quinn snorted and waved at him as she made her way back. She stood at the top of the stairs and was suddenly hesitant to go further, now wanting to face Nick yet...still somewhere between depressed and angry. She was staring at the buildings when something popped in her head and she turned around, going back to talk to Danny.  
  
'Hey Danny, how does one get a house in Diamond City, do you have to talk with the Mayor?'  
  
'Uhhh, Geneva...McDonough's secretary would know if there are any places for sale, but it's usually pretty full up. You can take the elevator here if you want to.'  
  
'Awesome, thank you, Danny!'  
  
-  
  
Quinn barely had enough to buy the only available place, Home Plate, but when she walked in she knew that she wouldn't have to worry about making it back. The previous residents had to leave quite suddenly and the place was fully furnished and it still had a ton of nearly anything she could need. There was a nice big bed and she dumped the bag on it.  
  
_Meh, I'll put stuff away after I look around. Let's see what this place has._  
  
As she wandered through the different areas, Quinn wondered if they had even come in and inspected the place or just sold it as is. After reading the terminal of the previous owners, she knew she lucked out. If they had come and looked in the place, all that plumbing would have been ripped out probably. As it was, on the lower floor she had an area to grow a small amount of crops, some bunk beds for when people were over and another kitchen. The main floor had a nice queen size bed that was hers, there was a bed that would be Dogmeat's, the kitchen, a shop with all the workbenches she could need. She danced when she saw the bathroom had a working shower, toilet, and washer and dryer. Running to the bed, peeling off the 111 suit and putting on one of the black ones, grabbing her dirty clothes and throwing them in the wash. The loft area had a desk and some shelves for magazines and then the upper loft had even more bunk beds. She looked at the ladder to the roof and went up, gasping as there was even more up there, another toilet, a bath, a doghouse, some patio furniture with a killer view of the market, and a little greenhouse with a few more crops. She was fucking set in Diamond City now. She thought about everything that they could do. Nick could stay here and they could use the entire space of the offices...maybe set up a Minutemen office there...  
  
_Or not...he'll probably ask for the key back and look for a different partner._  
  
Quinn sunk down on the lounge chair, staring at the market sadly. All the previous anger was gone and she just felt lonely. The thought of not having Nick around felt like the twist of a blade in her heart.  
  
_How much can one fucking person stand? I mean really...is this some kind of test on the limits of human stupidity?_  
  
(Hopeless Romantic - Michelle Branch)  
  
She sat there for a bit before figuring she should go get her bags from the agency and gauge the state of things. Sighing she went back down, figuring her new suit and pistol were fine she left everything else at the house, wandering towards the agency.  
  
She opened the door slowly, frowning a little when she didn't see anyone, trying to figure out why the door would be open if no one was here.  
  
'Hello?'  
  
'Quinn?'  
  
Her heart jumped into her throat at the sound of Nick's voice, 'Yeah, it's me.' She could hear him coming down the stairs and around the corner as she looked at the package and note on her desk. She opened the box, chuckling at the contents and the note from Ellie. 'Where's Ellie?' She turned around and blushed brightly, the handcuffs dangling from her fingers.  
  
Nick was just standing at the end of the hallway, staring at her quietly. When he saw her looking at him, he cleared his throat, sticking his hands in his pocket and looking down at the floor.  
  
'She had to go grab something from Danny, said she'd be back in a little bit. That's...uh...nice suit.'  
  
'Oh, thank you. I went to finish making the deal for the Minuteman armour and got the stuff I ordered. Black is a little stealthier than the bright blue.'  
  
They both just stood there quietly for a moment. When it became apparent that neither of them was ready to discuss the morning, she put the handcuffs down on the desk, scooting past him into the hall, 'I came to grab my bags. I'm having dinner with a friend, I need to go get ready.'  
  
'...you're leaving?'  
  
Quinn sighed at the pain she could hear in his voice, her brain trying to tell her what a big, giant sucker she was. She brought the bags down, dropping them on the floor next to her desk. Nick was still standing there staring at the floor.  
  
'I bought a place from Geneva. So I have a house in Diamond City now. I had a few ideas...but I guess that will all depend on where we stand.' She waved a hand when he went to speak. 'I'm going to go get ready. We're going to get some noodles, then have some beers. We can either talk later tonight after I'm done hanging out with Elijah or tomorrow.'  
  
He looked up and she could see the flash in his eyes and she poked a finger at his chest, 'Stop that right now. He's a friend.'  
  
They were standing there glaring at each other when Ellie walked in, stopping in her tracks at the sight of them. She looked back and forth between them before continuing in an overly cheerful voice, 'Quinn! I'm so glad you're all right, the new suit turned out great, how was everything else? Did you get my present, figured you might need the handcuffs if someone decides to get difficult with you.'  
  
Quinn almost burst out laughing when Nick looked positively pouty, moving to sit at his desk.  
  
'I feel much better, thank you. Yes, I got them right here, I figure I'll keep them handy just in case. Can never be too prepared, you know? The dresses were amazing, you'll have to come and look at them later.'  
  
'Later, you don't have them now?'  
  
'No, they're at the house...I bought Home Plate, so I have my own place here now. I have to go get ready, I'm going to have dinner with Elijah. Nick and I were just discussing whether or not he would like to come by later tonight or tomorrow morning to discuss things.'  
  
'Oh, well it better be tonight then, I spoke with a potential client and they were going to swing by in the morning. That way you can sit in on your first client interview that isn't your own. Does that work for both of you?'  
  
Nick was still pouting and grumbled something along the lines of, 'You two might as make all the decisions, not like my name is on the sign or anything.'  
  
Ellie just stared him down and Quinn felt bad so she leant over, kissing his cheek, making him jump, 'You know we love you. Okay, I'm going to go get ready...I'll be by 9 or 10ish Nick and you can come check out my new digs.' With a hug for Ellie, she went back to Home Plate.  
  
After a quick shower, she poked through the clothes, trying to decide on what to wear. She wanted to look nice but was also worried that if she looked too nice, one of the guys might get the wrong idea.  
  
_No. Fuck that. If they don't like it then too fucking bad. I do what I want._  
  
She snorted a lil, her younger self would never have recognised her now. She decided on her plain comfy undergarments that she came out of the vault with, her Grognak t-shirt, and the leather skirt. She looked at herself in the mirror, she decided hair down, just scrunching it a little in her hands like John did when he first cut it. Sighing a bit at her face, she changed out of the skirt really quick and tugged her boots on, running out and over to Fallon's.  
  
'Becky, do you have any flats that would look good with a skirt and do you know where I might be able to find some makeup?'  
  
'I might be able to help you with both, shoes are over there, see if any fit...and let me grab the box of cosmetics I have.'  
  
Quinn found a pair of plain black flats that fit, even though she was short, she had always preferred flats to heels. One, she could be klutzy; two, she never learned how to walk in heels, so she always resembled a baby deer when she tried. Becky came over with a box of makeup and they poked through it, trying to decide what would work. She ended up just getting the shoes and some lipstick. It was a little vampier than she would have chosen before, but she figured it'd work with the leather skirt.  
  
'Thanks, Becky!' She paid and ran back home. She changed back into the leather skirt, put on the flats, and put on a light application of the lipstick..frowning when she realised she had no way of carrying her weapon. She poked around in the drawers until she found a purse, tucking Kellogg's pistol into one of the pockets and some caps in the other, slinging it across her body.  
  
With a deep breath, she stepped out in time to see Elijah taking a seat at Takahashi's, his back to her. She walked up and goosed him playfully. 'Nice and punctual.'  
  
'Hi.' He didn't say anything else and Quinn just raised an eyebrow at him as he stared, taking his time looking from head to toe and finally gave her a grin.  
  
'Hi! Two please, Taka!' The funny little protectron placed two bowls on the counter and she tossed down some caps.  
  
'Hey, why are you paying.'  
  
She shrugged, 'You can always buy next time, I was quicker.' She stuck her tongue out at him and dug into her noodles.  
  
They ate a bit first before they started talking, they started out on the safe topics, weather, their likes, things like that but eventually started talking a bit more about themselves. Elijah was telling her about the young woman he had been attracted to, back in Rivet City.  
  
'Her name is C.J., she helped at the hotel there, cleaning and such. I had it bad for her, but she was in love with her childhood friend James.'  
  
The conversation wandered back towards her, 'My husband's name was Nate. I'd known him since I was 14. He's the one that taught me how to shoot and about weapons and stuff.'  
  
They finished off their noodles and Quinn turned to him, 'So, we can go to the Dugout or we can go up to my patio and drink the beer in the fridge.'  
  
'Uh...patio?'  
  
An hour or so later, they were still up on the roof patio, several beers in as they watched the people walking around.  
  
'So, who's the lucky guy that you're stuck on right now.'  
  
And speak of the devil, Nick Valentine went strolling past, looking around the market and headed towards the Dugout. Quinn wondered if he was looking for them so he could scope Elijah out, she grabbed his shoulder and pointed across the market. 'That's Nick.'  
  
'Nick Valentine? The....synth detective?' Elijah looked at her with a strange look on his face.  
  
'Oh, shut up. Have you ever actually talked with him? Nick, the human Nick...was a prewar cop from my time. He has all his memories, emotions, all of it...he just has a synth body right now. I don't know how people can talk with him and not believe he is as human as anyone.'  
  
'I've heard good things about him.'  
  
A few minutes later they saw him walking the other way, back across the market, 'What's he doing?'  
  
'I think he may be looking for us. He seemed a little jealous when I said I was going to have dinner and drinks with you.'  
  
'Oh, really? And does he have anything to be jealous about?'  
  
'No...yes...I don't know.' The beer was making her brain a little slow. 'I find you attractive, but I'm not in love with you thus far. Sorry.'  
  
Elijah laughed, loud and hard, causing a couple people to look up at them. Quinn really really hoped that Nick was not looking up at them and refused to look.  
  
'You are not like anyone I have ever met. I'd say I was heartbroken that you do not want me, but I actually don't mind just being your friend.'  
  
'Love and want are different. I want your body. I love Nick's mind and heart. Different. I don't know how to explain it.'  
  
'I think I get it, a bit. Well, Quinn. I have had a wonderful evening, what do you say I let you go to chase after your detective.'  
  
'Okay, but we should do this again sometime, it was nice.'  
  
They made their way downstairs and out and Quinn walked him towards the exit, 'Be careful getting back okay?'  
  
'Be careful with your heart.' He gave her a knowing look and bent down, giving her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
Quinn laughed and blushed when she heard Nat say ewwww behind her. 'Shouldn't you be in bed or something?'  
  
'I'm going to see Nina.'  
  
'Well, allow me to walk you there, I'm going to Nick's.' She offered her arm and was surprised when Nat took it.  
  
The younger Wright seemed to like her well enough and said goodnight as Quinn left her in Arturo's capable hands, giving him a wink before turning to Nick's.  
  
She slid the key in the lock and opened the door, 'Nick?' Frowning when she didn't get an answer, she started walking upstairs when she saw him sitting on the couch, his eyes dim. 'Nicky?' She sat next to him and lightly touched his leg, watching as the life flooded back to his eyes. 'Hi there.'  
  
'Hello, doll. Sorry, was running a quick diagnostic.'  
  
'Is everything okay?'  
  
'Yeah, just checking up on something.'  
  
'Okay, did you want to hang out here or did you want to come check out Home Plate?'  
  
'Let's check out your new place.'  
  
'Sounds good, give me a hand up, trying to stand up in this bloody skirt is hard.'  
  
She took his offered hand and could feel his eyes on her as she stood, 'Makes for one hell of a view though...'  
  
Quinn laughed, holding onto his arm as they made their way to her house.  
  
-  
  
They did the grand tour, minus the patio and came back downstairs. 'I want to show you the patio but I need to change out of this damn skirt. I barely made it back down the ladder last time.' She shuffled through the pile of clothes, pulling out a pair of sweats. He made a startled sound as she peeled the skirt down without warning, letting out a little satisfied groan and pulled the sweats on. Just to drive home the point that she was in for the night, she pulled her bra off and flung it on the dresser.  
  
'Come on, the view is great.' She went upstairs, going up the ladder first...looking down and confirming that he was indeed watching her ass as the climbed.  
She couldn't help the smug little grin as they came up out of the hatch and out of the bathroom area. She wandered down to the patio chairs and popped another beer.  
  
'It is a nice view...I saw you up here earlier. You looked like you were having fun.'  
  
'I was....how are you feeling?'  
  
(Dark Side - Bishop Briggs)  
  
'I don't know Quinn. I've been feeling lost for a while now. It's been...a lot to get used to.' She watched as he lit a cigarette, nodding slowly before pulling one out for herself.  
  
'I'm right there with you.'  
  
There were silent for a little bit and Quinn could practically see the gears turning. 'You know if you need to know something, you can just ask me.' When he stayed silent she went on. 'Yes, Sturges and I are close and it's not particularly any of your business, but we haven't done anything yet beyond some cuddling in bed. There may be times you ask me a question and I may tell you that it is none of your business, but for the most part, I'll probably answer you. I don't have anything to hide from you that I can think of.'  
  
'You kissed him.'  
  
'Yeah, I did. I kissed Piper before she left too, but he got an extra big one for being there for me. I yelled for him in the shower because the latch on my chain came off and Nathan's wedding band fell in the drain and I was starting to freak out. Piper was gone, Curie didn't want Preston around me...plus I don't know if he would have been able to handle seeing me naked in the shower crying, and you practically ran away anytime I came within ten feet. So Sturges has been my constant for the past two weeks. He's my best friend. I don't know if anything is going to happen between us, I find him attractive, but I'm not in love with him like that. If something does happen, that doesn't invalidate any other feelings I have. Loving a person doesn't take the place of someone else, it's not an all or nothing and then there's the different kinds of love...family, friends, romantic. And sex sometimes is just that, sex. I believe it was Huxley that said - Chastity - the most unnatural of all the sexual perversions.'  
  
Quinn sighed and stubbed out her cigarette, 'Let's go in, I'm getting cold.'  
  
Without waiting for an answer she went back down the hatch and down to her bed. Folding clothes and putting them away in one of the drawers. She sat on the bed, hugging the teddy bear that was tucked in and watched as he came downstairs.  
  
'What were you thinking just now?'  
  
'Why?'  
  
'Your eyes...its like they get brighter sometimes when you feel something strongly. What were you thinking?'  
  
'I missed you.'  
  
'I missed you too.'  
  
He sat down in one of the chairs, staring at the door.  
  
'You can come closer you know, I'm not going to jump you...unless you want me to.' She grinned at his chuckle.  
  
'Your mouth is going to get you in trouble someday, doll.' But he stood up, sitting down on the other side of the bed as her, leaning back against the headboard.  
  
'Oh, it has, many times...but I've also been able to talk my way out of that trouble a fair few times.'  
  
'I don't doubt it.'  
  
He sighed and asked if he could have a cigarette, she went searching for an ashtray and sat back down, handing it to him.  
  
'Thanks, doll. I've been thinking about something and I wouldn't normally bother ya with this sort of thing, but... well, I know I can trust you at this point. For as long as I can remember, I've been getting these...flashes. Memories of places I've never been. Things I've never seen. Memories of Nick's. They're not bad. They're just...They're just this inescapable reminder. That I'm not the person I think I am. That I'm not a person at all. I'm just a machine, pretending to be human.'  
  
'You know I think that's bullshit. You think. You feel. You're more than pretending, Nick.'  
  
'Nice of you to say, but your kind don't usually have to deal with someone else's whole life trapped inside their skulls. Don't get me wrong. I know I'm in Nick's debt. These memories, they've kept me alive. Nick was a hell of a cop, a guy with good instincts, and a good heart. I always counted myself lucky they didn't load me up with some ex-con or whatever type might volunteer to let folks tinker with their grey matter. But it's thanks to Nick that I pass for human. Why I get to live cushy in Diamond City and every other synth is shot on sight. I know I got it good, but... my entire life I owe to Nick. Everything that makes me who I am - my judgment, my speech, hell, even my name - they're his. And I can't do a damn thing about it because without them... without them I'm nothing. A shell. All I want is a life where I have something I can call my own.'  
  
She wanted nothing more to tell him that he had her, but she didn't want to spook him further, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, 'You've already built a life for yourself, Nick. You've got the agency. A home. Friends.'  
  
'Heh. I mean, you're not wrong...You know, I'm just going to need some time to think on this. I appreciate you hearing me out. You're, you're a real good friend.'  
  
'We're more than friends, we're partners...unless you don't want that anymore?'  
  
When he didn't answer right away she pulled her hand away from his shoulder and was startled when he grabbed it. 'We make a good team. How is that going to work with your Minutemen duties?'  
  
'I've been thinking about that a lot, Preston mentioned taking back The Castle, that would give us radio communication...and the Pip-boy is theoretically capable of two-way communication, I would need to get a manual and read it over, but if I can get a small mic rigged up then that would make it even easier...hell it might already have that capability and I just don't know about it. I vaguely remember there being a RobCo centre somewhere around. I was also thinking about Danse...well, more specifically radio communication and that deep range transmitter. We don't need the range that they needed, but we would have to see about getting some towers up or see if the old military relay towers survived. Need to get radios set up at each of the settlements and find some portable radios for like you and Preston, Piper, anyone else that would be running around. That way you guys could get a hold of me if needed but then I started thinking about how we would need to figure out how to encrypt the radio transmissions so not everyone could listen...what?'  
  
Quinn stopped, blushing because he was staring at her and got that intense flash in his eyes. He was still holding her hand and he ran his thumb over her knuckles softly, making her shiver.  
  
_Do it again._  
  
'It's just fascinating watching the way your mind works...the way your thoughts flow from one thing to the next. Is it always like that for you? I would imagine it would be ridiculously exhausting having that constant stream of data without having a processor like mine.' He chuckled a little, watching her as he waited for her answer.  
  
'Yes. Always. That's why I like to write things down, it helps me keep track of everything. I need to get the notepad function on my pip-boy...another thing to add to the list of stuff to look into. But a lot of it is because of my anxiety. Fair warning, it hasn't been so bad yet...well, besides the nightmares...but I have yet to have a full blown panic attack. That may happen...especially since I have not been able to find my particular anti-anxiety medication anymore, probably a couple centuries too late for that. Solomon tried selling me some Calmex or Day Tripper, but I haven't quite gotten to that point where I am willing to try those. I was never a huge fan of chems. The first time I met Preston and Sturges, they asked me if I was on Psycho after taking on the deathclaw, but I didn't know what they were talking about...it wasn't until later that I remembered my dad and Gov, talking about some of the experiments they did on some of the soldiers and the horrible addiction and mental instability a lot of them suffered...'  
  
She broke off with a yawn, shaking her head a little, looking up at him, 'Ugh, tired. Can I ask you to stay or should I go see if Piper will join me?'  
  
'I'll stay, I may duck out to grab some files to work on while you sleep.'  
  
Quinn fished the house key out of her pocket and handed it to Nick, 'I should probably get copies made and give one to you, Ellie, Piper...I'm notorious for losing keys.'  
  
She wandered to the bathroom and brushed her teeth before crawling into bed, hugging the bear to her chest.  
  
'Thank you for staying, you make me feel safe.'


	3. Long Time Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick tells Quinn about Eddie Winter, they run into a kid in a fridge, after taking care of Winter Quinn and Nick return to Sanctuary and Nick has a flashback, Quinn tells Nick a bit about growing up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Brief mention of suicidal thoughts and cutting towards the end.

'In this spot, two hundred years ago, one of Eddie's boys put a bullet in Jenny Land's back. Now Eddie's as dead as Jenny and Nick. And I...I'm at a loss. All I know is that, without you, Eddie'd still be at large.'  
  
They had done it, she had helped him find the ghoul and watched as he took care of him. She grabbed Eddie's weapon and put it in her bag, talking about modding it for him. He supposed it was a sort poetic justice, him with Eddie's Peace and her with Kellogg's pistol.  
  
'Taking down Winter was a big deal. Are you doing alright?'  
  
'I don't know. It's a lot to take in. Winter was it, the only reminder left of the original Nick Valentine. The last proof outside of some long lost Institute archive I was ever just a mechanical copy of some cop from a bygone era I'm not sure how to feel.'  
  
'Don't you see, Nick? You're finally free. There is no “other Nick” anymore. Just you.'  
  
'I wish it was that easy. But it's not. Because I WAS Nick Valentine. I had his memories. His fears. All that poor bastards hope. I remember getting the call to head to come lab in Cambridge to get that neurotrans-whatever. And the next thing I know, I'm in a trash heap, my family, my home, my entire life, gone. Then I discover, all those things, they weren't even mine. Everything I ever was belonged to Nick. I'd hoped with Winter gone, the last hint of that old world snuffed out, I could finally be free. But being out here with you, what I finally realised after all this time was that taking down Winter, it wasn't about Nick or Jenny or even you or me. It was about justice, about doing what's right. And that act of goodness, that's ours. All the good we've done. That's ours and ours alone. And even if that's the only thing in this world I can ever claim as mine, not Nick's, not the Institutes', but mine, then I can die happy. And none of it would have ever happened if it weren't for you. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to thank you for that.'  
  
'You don't have to, Nick. We're friends. This is what friends do.'  
  
'You can't stop being noble, now can you? Well, come on. We're not helping anyone standing around here. That is if you're still interested in travelling together. Wouldn't blame ya if you wanted some time on your own after all this.'  
  
'Of course. Let's do it.'  
  
'Glad to hear it. Come on. Let's get out of here.'  
  
'Can we go home? I...I have something I want to show you.'  
  
'Sure, doll, let's go home.'  
  
'Merry Christmas, Nicky.'  
  
'Merry Christmas, doll.'

  
-  
  
She'd almost gotten herself killed...again.  
  
He honestly began to worry that she was trying to. Not outright, but by not being careful enough, not protecting herself. Or in this case, it would seem, throwing herself in front of another.  
It's not like she didn't know how to take care of herself. She would have had almost 10 years from when she started training to when the bombs went off...but she was a new mother...she probably hadn't done much training for a while. Her shooting proficiency was rapidly returning, her mind seemed as sharp as ever...needed to work on stealth and on hand to hand.  
  
Piper told the doctor what had happened after they had wheeled her into the clinic. He left almost immediately. He had a stash nearby, he'd have to wait till she was stable before he'd be able to try it. A small amount first, to make sure she didn't react poorly, but then she could start having it regularly. Biogel was an interesting substance...quite miraculous, the healing and regenerative properties it had, as long as the person was not sensitive to it. He'd seen it range from a miracle healing product to allowing for slow deterioration, occasionally cancer-causing, or even causing complete cellular breakdown. He wondered if it had already affected her. Near as he could tell from looking at the pods, the cryostasis process cycled biogel through the person's system somewhat regularly so the cells wouldn't breakdown from being crystallised. Not exactly the same process he was familiar with.  
  
_Please let it work._  
  
He got a case of it and sent a little for her to try while she was still in the vault and then dropped off more afterwards. She looked too small and weak. He watched as she reacted positively to it and was about back to normal by the time she left with Valentine.  
He'd had a brief flash of jealousy, but it never lasted long. There was something there, he wasn't surprised, the man was smooth when he wanted to be and she had more love to give than anyone he'd ever known. But he could see that Valentine was struggling with something. He wanted to smack the man upside the head and tell him to go for it.  
  
He nearly fell off his hiding spot on Arturo's roof when she exited her new place wearing the black suit and then again later when she exited wearing a fucking leather skirt...it was bad enough being so high up, he really did not like heights, but this gave him the best view to watch for her. He couldn't risk his usual getup, he was getting worried he would be recognised. He focused his thoughts on her outfits instead, she would have never worn anything that skin tight before everything and he appreciated her new found confidence and more than appreciated the curve of her hips and ass. The end of the world seemed to have caused a zero-fucks-left-to-give effect that he was certainly familiar with.  
  
After a few days in Diamond City, Quinn (it still felt wrong to call her that) and Valentine left and went traipsing all over the fucking Commonwealth. He tried not to get too close, the synth was too observant and she always seemed to feel his eyes on her somehow, so he didn't know what was up but the visits to the various police stations made it clear that it was for Valentine.  
  
Then there was the matter of the other tail that they had had. He'd taken care of it quietly with the switchblade he kept in his back pocket, dragging the body off so they wouldn't stumble upon it. He didn't recognise the man, but he took his sunglasses to add to his collection. The man had a bag of clothes, a pistol, a few caps, and was far too clean to be a regular wastelander, but otherwise, there was nothing to indicate why he may be following them. He'd waited a while before deciding to deal the man, making sure that it was not a coincidence that he happened to be heading in the same direction as the two. When he was still there after a day of going from one area to the next, he knew. The man had waited till they were settled for the night and had started for them, it was all too easy to sneak up behind him and when the man started to raise his pistol at Valentine he planted the switchblade in his temple.  
  
He'd almost blown his cover in Quincy when he took a shot at the assaultron that was rounding on Valentine. Quinn ended up calling in some Minutemen reinforcements and after the bot was down and the Gunners were dealt with, Valentine looked around suspiciously and even mentioned it to Quinn. He was close enough on the building rooftop that he could hear her laugh and tell Nick about her 'guardian angel'. Then they ended up in a discussion about the Mysterious Stranger, he'd almost laughed...he hadn't run into his old friend yet, but they always seemed to turn up in the same area eventually. They all did, fate or something constantly pulled them together.  
  
-  
  
She woke up in a panic.  
  
The bed wasn't her bed and Sturges wasn't there, warm and pulling her to his chest. It smelled wrong. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light and focused on the curtain and the sounds of someone behind it. She was panting and felt like she might pass out...  
  
'Quinn?'  
  
Nick! She slumped back on the pillows in relief at the sound of his voice. Her hand hit the teddy bear lying in the bed with her and it started to come back. Diamond City. Fighting with Nick. New place. Elijah. Nick...and he had stayed.  
  
She was lost in her head, still breathing too hard and it didn't register immediately that Nick had pulled the curtain back and was squatting down by the side of the bed, holding a hand out cautiously. She could see the relief in his eyes when she reached out, curling her fingers around his and tugging slightly. She scooted over on the bed and she could feel him, warm and solid against her back, his arm curling around her so that their hands rested against her abdomen. She was trying to calm her breathing but it kept hitching and soon she felt the tears on her cheeks. She hid her face away from him till they eventually stopped, he hadn't moved after lying down and she rolled towards him just a little.  
  
'Hi there.'  
  
Quinn smiled faintly, it was the same thing she had said to him earlier when she woke him or however that worked. Her nose scrunched up slightly as she tried to figure out what to say back, instead, she just settled on tugging his arm tighter around her. He had taken his jacket off and his sleeves were rolled up, he still had his hat though, leaning up slightly on his other arm so that he could see her. This was the closest they'd been since he'd carried her and she relaxed bit by bit. She let go of his hand and slowly rolled over till she was facing his chest, his hand settling at the small of her back. Starting with a light touch, giving her a moment to move or object then settling a little more comfortably, hand splayed out holding her in place. She pressed her forehead and nose against his chest, head tilted down, just absorbing his warmth.  
She jumped slightly when she felt him nuzzling her hair and placing a kiss at the top of her head and wanted to immediately kick herself, his hand starting to move away. She tilted her head up, trying to get a read on him, cupping his jaw. He went still like he was afraid of spooking her and she just rubbed his jawline softly. She couldn't get over how soft his new skin was, her eyes tracing the contours of his face. They landed on his eyes and she couldn't help the little grin as they flashed, his eyes focused on her lips. She licked her lower lip nervously at the scrutiny and then he was there, kissing her hesitantly, once again giving her that chance to pull away.  
Quinn slid her hand around to the back of his neck, holding him there as she pressed into the kiss. He must have been smoking as he worked at the desk, he tasted strongly of cigarettes with a hint of whisky. She paused momentarily wondering if this is how their first kiss was, the one she couldn't remember if he had tasted the same. He ran his tongue over her lower lip gently and leant back, looking at her intensely.  
His eyes were wide and she could see the instant he started second guessing things, looking almost panicked. So, she scooted back just a hair, sliding her hand back to his jaw. She ran her fingers over it lightly and over his neck, surprised at the slight shudder from him. She blushed and hid her face against his shirt, cuddling with a little less reserve. His hand was back on her back and she yawned, mind lost thinking of all the little tells he had. It was different from reading a human face, much more subtle, but they were there. They way his eyes widened when he was thinking too hard and about to pull back into himself, the way they flashed when he felt something strong, the slight difference in the way they crinkled depending on if he was happy or upset. How expressive his mouth was, from his little smirks to his frowns. She realised and was thinking about how much time she actually spent watching him when he was in her line of sight, learning those tells. She yawned again and slung her arm around his waist as he kissed her head again tentatively.  
  
'Sleep, Quinn...you're safe here.'  
  
-  
  
He laid on the bed with her till she was in a deep sleep before extracting himself and covering her with the blankets. He tried working for a while, but couldn't focus on the papers in front of him. Eventually, he pulled the desk chair over to the bed, toeing off his shoes and resting them on the end, leaning back in the chair watching her.  
  
He hadn't meant to kiss her, but it felt so right at that moment. He was like a moth to a flame and he wondered if they would both burn. It had never been that way for Nick that he could remember. There were some dames that he'd had fun with, then Jenny was...comfortable but it had never been this constant surge of emotion and desire.  
  
Jenny. He decided to tell Quinn in the morning, about the memories, Eddie Winter.  
  
He hadn't expected her to be willing to take care of it immediately. She showered and changed into one of her new black suits, put on a leather duster, and she had her hair pinned up and some flight goggles on her forehead. She packed a bag and readied her weapons. They made the rounds to everyone, letting them know they would be off, asking Piper to get a message to Preston that they were taking care of something and it might take a bit. They were out of Diamond City before noon and Quinn was ploughing the way forward, her mouth set in a determined line.  
  
(All For You - Sister Hazel)  
  
He had to make her stop and rest, otherwise, she probably would have just kept going from one place to another. When they had found the holotape at the BADTFL offices and terminal entry, showing that they had known there was a threat and they didn't do anything about it, Quinn felt the rage for him. It was a sight, the raiders they ran into running from this tiny woman as she screamed about what an asshole Widmark was.  
  
_She knew Widmark? Might have to ask her about that sometime...when she doesn't have a weapon nearby._  
  
She was still fuming when they settled down for the night. She woke angry instead of scared, drawing her weapon in the dark, he had to pin her down till she saw that it was him and that they weren't in immediate danger. She was shaking from the adrenaline, even though she'd only had a few hours of sleep, she eventually gave up on trying and they packed up and carried on. They were on the last tape and they had to fight for it, Quinn ended up having to use her flare gun to get additional help to clear out Quincy. They didn't immediately go for the tape once it was done, Quinn told him about what Preston and the others had been through and they checked the different buildings. There was a toy truck and a baseball cap that they packed away for the Longs. He knew she didn't particularly like Marcy, but as soon as she saw the items she said that she wanted to take them back.  
He told her about the assistance he'd received against the assaultron and she told him about the 'guardian angel' that seemed to be following her around since she woke up, it wasn't quite the same, but he told her about the Mysterious Stranger file he had put together and the odd stories surrounding him.  
  
They were leaving Quincy and making for Andrew Station when they heard the voice, the poor freaking kid had been trapped in that fridge since the blast till he ghoulified. He really saw the momma come out then, Quinn gave him hugs and assurances that they would take him home to see if (by some miracle) his parents were there. He knew that if they weren't that she would take the kid and told him as much, telling him about Sanctuary and Dogmeat and the others. They had to head back to Quincy and a little further south, he was piggybacking Billy at one point and Quinn just beamed at him.  
There was an odd man that had appeared, offering to buy the kid and he wanted to tell the man that was a very bad idea, seeing the way Quinn's face locked down. He'd never let harm come to the boy, but she looked ready to cut his head off for just suggesting it, but not wanting to do it in front of the kid. The man backed off and they went on their way. She had a brief moment where she was overjoyed when they found his parents and the tears started coming, Nick held his hand out to her, but the moment passed when they heard the man outside.  
She had the family hide upstairs and then she was out on the porch telling the Gunner that there wasn't a chance in hell that he was getting the kid. He raised his own pistol to join her, but the next thing he knew she was off running into the cattails. He heard a quick couple shots and then all of a sudden she was jumping out of the plants and onto the back of the man, Bullet. Nick was yelling for her as he tried to hold off the Gunners coming at them from behind. He was scared for her till he saw her face and it was Kellogg all over again. She was locked down with Kellogg's gun jammed in the man's back, three rounds and the man was done for. The remaining two booked it when they saw her face and she yelled after them that she better not ever see them again. She stopped on the porch before going back in, trembling, he saw her trying to gather herself and he just cupped her face gently. He frowned at the pain and emotion he saw in her eyes, he didn't know how he could have ever worried about her not caring, she was just incredibly good at hiding it away when she wanted and he wondered how much she actually hid. She tiptoed up to give him a chaste peck and by the time she pulled back, her face was composed, giving him a small grin.  
The pair ended up spending the night with the Peabody's and Quinn told them about her situation. They all ended up talking about the past and Quinn and Billy came to the agreement that they needed to get an icebox working so they could figure out how to make some ice cream. After Billy went to bed, his parents kept thanking them over and over and Quinn just brushed it off with a grin, talking about how now that Quincy was cleared and there were some Minutemen back in the area that she'd try and make sure the area was Gunner free and back under Minuteman control. She was so calm and relaxed with the Peabody's, you could tell they were sleeping well for the first time in a very long time. Quinn did not sleep so well, clinging to his hand and whimpering for Shaun in the night, he'd had to wake her twice before she could scream out and scare their hosts. Crawling onto his lap and falling back into a fitful sleep.  
  
They woke early and made their goodbyes, heading directly for Andrew station. They had to clear the raiders out, but soon enough they were at the door. Nick had to ask her to do the honour of entering the code because suddenly he was having a hard time moving. It wasn't until that bastard started talking about how easy Quinn was on the eyes that he found he could move again and he was seeing red. He barely remembered what happened next, but soon they were outside and he was staring at the ground and all he could see in his mind was the pool of red.  
  
-  
  
They booked it back to Sanctuary. He had tried to convince her to stop for the night, not wanting to travel in the dark. But she was determined and they got back around 2 am. Saying hi to the guards at the bridge, they went to her home. He had to admit it was nice to relax a bit. She was noticeably jittery as the night went on, but he wasn't sure why.  
  
She went to take a quick shower and he sat down in the living room with his whisky and cigarette, relaxing. Dogmeat had come to say hi to them but ended up going back to his dog house. It was quiet. And the silence brought some of the back processes to the front, wondered why he agreed when she called this home. It was the first time he had felt mostly at ease in a while, ever since things had gotten awkward with her. Things had started to get better again, but there was still a noticeable tension.  
  
Sanctuary was completely changed from the first time he had come here. The memories were too rough on her and eventually, she had moved to the house across the street with the workshop. Nick, Sturges, Preston and some of the others cleared her old home away and now (thanks to the water tower she built) it was actually becoming a green stretch with a few tire swings and a see-saw that Sturges had put together. Some benches and picnic tables were scattered about, it made a fine park. Sometimes when nightmares were too much and she couldn't sleep at night, she'd sneak away from them and he'd find her swinging on one of the tires or planting carrot blossoms around.  
He could see this being a great home once she got her son back, but an old synth like him just looked out of place in that dream. He was still trying to understand why, why him...why she kissed him so sweetly like it was the most natural thing in the world.  
  
'I noticed a flower painting in your office, was that something Ellie's picked?'  
  
'No, it, it reminded me of a kindness someone once did for me. Hey, where you going?'  
  
'One sec, I want to grab something.'  
  
Quinn came wandering out of her bedroom, she had changed. She was wearing an old Grognak t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off and a pair of boxers for shorts, her hair still damp, rubbing it with a towel. Without her usual facade in place, she looked so young. He had to remind himself that she was only 24 when she had been frozen. She was usually so disciplined and focused, everyone tended to think she was older. Well, until they got to know her. When she was comfortable with someone, she was like a cuddly puppy...He tried not to sigh, he couldn't bring himself to go for more and he kept kicking himself for it.  
  
_Why the hell am I sitting here imagining that? Why can't I ever actually bring myself to do it?_  
  
He had to suppress the grin, watching her. She walked over something behind her back, setting it out of his field of view as she went to the bar to pour herself a drink. He saw her hand shaking, frowning as some of the amber liquid went sloshing. She hadn't been drinking as much since the night at Nate's grave and she looked like she was contemplating just taking the whole bottle for a moment.  
  
'Okay, doll, you're starting to worry me. What's going on?'  
  
She knocked back the whisky, clearing her throat before she poured another and padded over, sitting on the arm of the couch, facing him. Whatever it was, was hidden behind her back again.  
  
'After Shaun...after Shaun was born, I was getting ready to go back to work, but I still had a little bit - so Nate and Codsworth watched Shaun the one day and I went to Boston to visit some friends.'  
  
She paused as if gathering her thoughts and he waited patiently for her to continue, as much as he wanted to go over and hug her and rub the frown from her brow with his thumb. He wanted her to look young and innocent again. He wanted her in his arms again. He wanted to hear those little sounds again...He had to force himself to pay attention before his mind slipped into fantasy.  
  
'There was this florist, near my friend's apartment. We had lunch and then I grabbed some flowers before I was going to head out.'  
  
She stopped again and was shaking and he couldn't take it. So he scooted over to the centre of the couch, holding his hand out to her. Instead of taking his hand, she placed a beautiful origami flower in it.  
  
'I loved flowers, but I had never been very good at taking care of them. So, I used to make them. Heh, the carrot blossoms aren't as delicate, so it's harder for me to kill them. Dahlias are...were my favourite.'  
  
He looked down at the flower and his eyes went bright, as it finally clicked into place. Looking up at her face, eyes wide as the memory came rushing back.  
  
-  
  
_The front of his shirt was sticky and getting cold, he was shaking. He knew shock was setting in, but he couldn't get himself to move or say anything. They had made him move, had pulled Jenny out of his arms as they secured the crime scene. Everyone rushing away momentarily to hold back the surge of press that had suddenly appeared._  
_He was sitting on the guardrail, waiting for them to come take his statement. He jumped as one of the blankets from the ambulance was wrapped around his shoulders and a towel handed to him to wipe his hands._  
_Her hair had been brown then and she was still soft and rounded with a mother's glow. She was wearing a royal blue dress and carrying a basket, completely out of place at the crime scene. He cleared his throat to tell her she should go when she just plopped next to him on the railing like it was no big deal. They were sitting side by side, the friendly contact stunning him into silence again as he wiped his hands. This woman radiated motherly concern._  
  
_'I know Jeff, you're in shock, so I offered to bring a blanket while they deal with things...I'm so very sorry Detective Valentine.'_  
  
_The pain in her voice for him made the tears fall, hiding his face in the blanket. He could hear someone coming towards them and she made a sound of assent, talking to the other person softly._  
  
_'....I'll see if I can get this one. Supposed to be the beginning of November, but we'll see if I can't get back sooner.'_  
  
_His side felt cold as she moved away, standing up. He couldn't look up yet, tears still falling, so his face stayed hidden in the blanket. He felt a small soft hand take one of his and place something in it and then she was gone._  
_He looked up just in time to see a flash of dark hair and blue dress disappearing into the crowd. Looking down he saw he was holding a dahlia, a green and white dahlia, like Jenny's dress._  
  
_Detective Jeffery McGuire was standing over to the side, 'Sorry that took so long Nick, the news got here faster than we realised and we didn't want them getting at Jenny.'_  
  
_Nick wiped his face on the blanket and cleared his throat, 'Who...who was that?'_  
  
_'Mrs. Roberts? You know that new hotshot lawyer at the DAs office, the one that made Widmark burst a blood vessel in his eye? That was her. She got married and just had a baby, so she hasn't been around for a while.'_  
  
_Nick clutched the flower tightly as he gave his statement and the other Detective drove him home._  
  
_He spent the next week drunk, bottles, broken glass and delivery food containers scattered everywhere, and there in the middle of the counter sat that perfect flower in a cup of water. Every time he saw it, it made him think of Jenny's smile and the first time she had worn that dress, giving a twirl to show it off. All girlish innocence._  
  
_He was staring at that flower when he finally decided to clear his head and go to that lab for the damn brain scan. It had started to wilt, the tips turning brown and he threw it away before it could fade anymore._  
  
-  
  
'Nick? Nick, can you hear me?'  
  
Quinn's voice sounded a million miles away and he pulled himself back from the memory, staring at the flower cradled delicately in his metal hand. This one wasn't green and white. It was purple, like the painting in his office. It looked like she had stained some old newspaper with Mutfruit juice, lifting it to his nose confirmed the faint, slightly decaying scent.  
He finally looked up at her again, at a loss for words.  
  
'It was you.'  
  
'Did you notice how I paused, in the Vault, when I opened the door for you? It wasn't because you were a synth, it was because you were...you. You face is still shaped mostly the same and your voice, I had heard it before, a few times when I was down at the station and I recognised it right away. You didn't recognise me, but of course, I looked a little different then.'  
  
Twirling the end of a strand of hair in her fingers and motioning to herself, 'I was a short, fat, mouthy, brunette back then so it didn't surprise me that you didn't recognise me.'  
  
He made a sound in his throat and spoke softly, 'You were a doll then and you're still a doll now. No wonder I liked the vault suit. You look good in blue.'  
  
She gave him one of those little sideways grins and slid down on the couch next to him, side by side again, but this time she used his shoulder as a pillow. She smelled like that damn soap again, the one that made him want to devour her, 'It's okay Nicky, I was fat. It's not a bad thing, it was just a fact. And the only thing that has really changed is my hair colour.'  
  
She poked herself in the stomach, making what he could only describe as squishing sounds.  
  
'I still have my jiggly bits, but after years of depression and then looking like I swallowed a watermelon before having Shaun, I'm not surprised. I know I could go see Doc Crocker if I wanted to, but it's kind of weird. It's been so harsh ever since I stepped off of that platform, its worn me down and made me stronger, but my pudge, that's a piece of the old me...a wife and a mom. I've always been short and round, I feel like I would lose myself if I changed that too much. I don't want to lose that.'  
  
Nick nodded slightly and looked at her resting against his shoulder, voice soft, 'What made you stop and sit with me?'  
  
Quinn looked up at him with those sweet brown eyes and if he had a heart, he would have sworn it skipped a beat.  
  
'You looked so lost, I didn't want you to be alone. I had been there, I knew what it was like to have your heart ripped out and bared before you...Love isn't there to make us happy. I believe it exists to show us how much we can endure _._ '  
  
He looked even more confused, 'Hermann Hesse...but what do you mean you knew, that was before you lost Nate..? And wait...Roberts, Nora Roberts...wasn't that your name? Where did Quinn come from?' He trailed off, watching her face closely.  
  
'There's a lot you guys don't know about me still. Not that I'm trying to hide anything, but it's just never come up and most of it is not happy. And Nora is one of my middle names...so is Quinn, kinda. I never really liked Nora, but Nate's mom insisted that it was a proper sounding name and if I was going to use the family name and connections to get a job, I should go by it...I think she liked it because she was obsessed with romance novels...' She sat up, reaching under her shirt and pulling the necklace out.  
  
He had seen flashes of it before, the bands on the chain, but he realised for the first time there were three bands on the chain. Two gold and one silver.  
  
'These were Nate and my wedding bands. This...this one,' She held up the silver one so he could see, 'This was a promise from the man I loved before Nate. His name was Aidan Shaun Davidson...yes, like my Shaun. He was my first true love and one of Nate's best friends. We were thick as thieves, there were a couple other friends, but it was usually the three of us.'  
  
She sighed sadly and stood, grabbing his glass and getting them both another drink. His side felt empty as she plopped down on the floor in front of him this time. She crossed her legs, looking down, picking at a thread on the rug.  
  
'I was 14 when dad got sent to Anchorage. We had a house in Modesto at the time...we had bounced around a lot as he was reassigned...Modesto was the first place we stayed at for a length of time, it was the first place I called home. Da was a sergeant, he could have been higher, but he always had a mouth. So they kept him down, the year before they shipped out, he got a new squad. The were all a bunch of misfits. The squad leader had gotten in trouble for punching someone, so it was his punishment to make something out of the delinquents. Gov - the squad leader, was married, but Nate and Aidan were young...Nate falsified his birth certificate to get in, he was only 17, Aidan was 19. They stayed with us that Christmas. I was like the little sister they never asked for.'  
  
She paused to yawn and motioned him to scoot over, lying down on the couch, using his thigh as a pillow before she looked up at him and continued.  
  
'They called me Chunk. I HATED it, they were always getting on me about doing my homework, or asking me to help mend their clothes, or do laundry...stuff like that. They were at the house more than the barracks, if da had a night shift, one of them would always drive over and stay home with me.'  
  
Laughing she shook her head a little, playing with one of the buttons on his coat.  
  
'I came home crying one day and Nate was there. I hated school and I hated the other girls, they were always teasing me for being fat and having my nose buried in books, for not having a mom. I wanted a different world and books were my escape. Nate got mad when he saw me crying and bugged me till I told him what happened. Susie...her name was Susie, took my book and threw it in a toilet. A Midsummer Nights Dream, it was one of the few things I had from my mom before she left us. So he took me to the back yard and showed me how to punch...'  
  
Nick's eyebrow raised at this, grinning, he had seen her punches knock out grown men before and they packed a wallop.  
  
'I walked into class and got Susie with a good one. She fell out of her desk, ended up with a broken nose, and I was expelled. Da was busy, so Aidan came and got me. Nate had told him what was up and Aidan took me to get a milkshake and gave me his copy of A Midsummer Nights Dream.  
That's the only book I have that survived, it was in the safe with the other stuff. I've been reading it to Sturges.  
Da was upset when he got home and I yelled at him about how if he could get along without graduating, I could too. Nate and Aidan were there, I think they talked to him after I stormed off, because after that I stayed home and took care of the house and cooked and stuff. They were a lot nicer to me after that. Whenever they were free, someone was teaching me something.'  
  
(Into The Darkness - The Phantoms)  
  
'Things were starting to feel tense around the base, so Da taught me a lot about survival and how to build things. Nate taught me how to fight and shoot and all about weapons and modifications. Aidan taught me about literature, science, math, and history. He LOVED to read. Gov would even come by, he taught me about people. How to read them, how to talk, how to negotiate. They were training me, training me to survive in case something happened to them, in case of the end of the world. Ha. I never really thought it would actually happen.  
I got my mouth from dad, and ma if what he said about her was true, but it was Gov that helped me learn how to use words to defuse a situation or to cut deep. He also taught me how to play poker and something about it just made sense to me. The first time they let me join a game it was the four of them, and two other guys from the base. I ended up winning two hundred and four dollars and didn't have to do dishes for a week. After the third time I won, they wouldn't let me play with them anymore, but every once in a while Gov would take me out to play against some guys. Sitting at my side and whispering in my ear on how to read them. I had the biggest damn crush on that man for a long time.'  
  
She laughed and paused for a moment, reaching up and grabbing the cigarette from Nick's mouth and taking a drag before placing it back in his mouth. It felt very...intimate. He had to fight back the sudden surge of desire, lest he completely embarrass himself with her head on his lap.  
  
'The next winter we didn't have Christmas...they were shipped up to Anchorage. I could take care of myself just fine, so da let me stay home, but it was lonely. I was always looking forward to hearing from them. I got letters and pictures from all of them and calls whenever they could.'  
  
(Heart Stops - Anya Marina)  
  
'I dated a guy, briefly. He ended up taking my virginity but was a complete ass. He got a little rough once and I ended up beating the shit out of him when he wouldn't take no for answer. He tried fucking with me for a while after that, but I refused to see him.  
But, I was a young impressionable teenager that was all alone. The things he used to say got to me eventually. They'd play in my head over and over. How I was fat and unattractive and that no one else would ever want me.  
To deal with the pain...I started cutting myself.'  
  
She held up her one arm and he could see the faint scars running up and down her forearm, he was frowning and reached up, rubbing his thumb up and down her arm softly. He looked at her, really looked at her, without getting distracted for a moment. Seeing her fully for the first time, the freckles scattered over her face, a tiny scar over her one eyelid, one of the laser rifle scars peeking from the collar of her shirt, the jagged scar on her other arm where she'd saved him. He tried to memorise all the little things he had overlooked before. He looked at the arm he was holding, tracing the scars, sighing sadly at the much deeper set, running up and down at her wrist.  
  
'I have more scars on my thighs, they were easier to hide than the ones on my arms. One particularly bad night, I thought I was going to kill myself and cut my wrists deeper, but almost immediately I realised that I didn't want to die yet. I bandaged myself up, too scared to go to the hospital. I knew they would contact dad. Luckily I didn't hit anything major.  
The only person I told was Aidan one of the times he called me. The others must not have been around because he spent a good half an hour screaming at me over the phone. He must have told them at some point because they never said anything about my scars.  
After that, I tried doing anything I could to distract myself.'  
  
(Long Live Love - Leann Rimes)  
  
'While they were gone, I pretty much read everything I could get my hands on. After I exhausted the meagre library of all our books combined, I started catching the bus into town and going to the city library. The librarian's name was Mrs Spitz. At first, I thought she didn't like me, but then I realised she was worried about me. She started inviting me over to dinner and stuff like that. She's the one who convinced me to go ahead get my diploma. It wasn't hard, Aidan was a really good teacher.'  
  
She yawned again and he mentioned that she should hit the sack, she just shook her head and carried on.  
  
'Mrs Spitz helped me fill out the forms and I got a scholarship to the local college, so I went and got all my basic undergrad stuff out of the way. I didn't know what I wanted to do though, I just couldn't really imagine where I wanted to go in life. Classes were easy and I breezed through those and I knew I had to make some kind of choice soon. I stopped by the library after class, but it was closed...Someone had stabbed Mrs Spitz and she died there at the library.'  
  
Quinn wiped away some tears, rolling over to facing towards him, voice slightly muffled by his jacket as she continued again. He wondered how it would look if someone were to walk in now. Her head on his thigh and her hair falling across his lap.  
  
'The guy that stabbed her...he got off on a technicality...'  
  
Nick growled a little at that, he couldn't stand when things like that happened, especially after what they had dealt with today.  
  
'I decided to go into law after that. I wanted to help put away assholes like that. I did what I could at the local college before I started applying everywhere else. I was 17 when I was accepted to Harvard. Nate had told me a lot about Boston and he was over the moon for me when I told him I was going. Dad was worried, but I kept playing cards even after they had left and I could take care of my living expenses and the scholarships took care of the tuition. I card-sharked my way through Harvard, heh.'  
  
(Empire State of Mind - Halestorm)  
  
She was starting to sound loopy now, breaking into the occasional giggle. It was damn adorable, Nick tucked a stray white curl behind her ear. He had known Quinn was intelligent, but what she had accomplished...then and now...was beyond impressive and he was very proud of her.  
  
'I never really got on with anyone, there was the asshole and then a brief fling with a gorgeous dancer but she moved away. So, I mostly just kept to myself. Nate's sister would take me out with her now and then, I loved her, both his sisters actually...but never really got on with her clique, a bunch of rich kids. Gov visited once, he had to go to New York for a funeral and dad convinced him to swing by and check on me. Otherwise, when I wasn't playing cards, I was home studying. It was coming on spring break 2071 when dad called and told me they were coming home. It had been 5 years and they finally got a rotation. They would be back early morning the next day. I notified my professors and the people who took care of my scholarship that I would be gone for a bit. I called one of the guys on base and figured out when their flight was going to land, I was on a plane heading back home that evening.  
Most everyone on the base knew me, so it wasn't hard to convince them to let me greet the plane. Gov gave me a passing hug and a kiss and ran off. His wife had gotten pregnant when he was back for the funeral and had had a baby boy that December.  
Next was Da...he swept me in a giant bear hug and just held me for a few minutes as I cried. When he put me down he was mumbling something about where did his little girl go and then all of a sudden I was being picked up and squashed between Nate and Aidan till I couldn't breathe. After a glare from Da, they put me down and I had a chance to take a good look at them.  
They were older...they still had easy smiles for me, but you could kind of see under the surface where they had been hardened. I wondered what I looked like to them. I had to admit I was blushing a bit after the hug. They had always looked out for me, but I was 19 now and it didn't take much to see how handsome they were.  
I got them home and cooked them a real meal, afterwards we all sat down to watch a movie on TV and they all fell asleep where they were. They had a few days off, so I just let them rest.  
Da was in his recliner, I was sitting on the couch between Nate and Aidan. Nate was holding my hand and Aidan was using me like a pillow, like how we are right now. I tried squeezing out from under them, but my movements woke Aidan a little and he just hugged around my waist and mumbled, nuh-uh, my Chunk, and fell back asleep. I probably sat there blushing for an hour before I fell asleep too.  
No one had ever mentioned any interest in me beyond the two I mentioned, well and my experimentation with Nate's sister Adrienne...but that one innocent sleepy hug changed how I looked at Aidan. It didn't help that I woke up being carried to bed and was startled to see that it was Aidan and not my dad. I told him to put me down before he hurt himself, but he just held me and said, 'Your eyes shine like stars, Chunk, did anyone ever tell you that?' I got kinda huffy and told him not to call me that. And as usual, he had a smart ass retort and said, 'Oh yes my liege'. He sat me on my bed and kissed my forehead, then I could hear him getting Nate and Da to bed.'  
  
She was lost in memory now, voice soft, still talking even though she looked asleep. Nick wondered what it would be like to sweep her off to bed like that. The only times he had done anything like that, she had been injured or upset. He had those thoughts more and more, he was a living breathing man as far as his memory cared, but he was still trying to squash them. He could have that, maybe, but he was always screwing things up. None of that for an old bot like him, but he played with her hair. It was like spun moonlight. Here she was, curled up against him again and it was getting harder to keep denying his feelings to her.  
  
_Dammit, Valentine. You stop that right now. She's spilling her guts to you after an emotional day, hell...an emotional couple months, and here you are thinking about literally sweeping the dame off her feet._  
  
'Aidan still called me Chunk sometimes, but he also started calling me Queenie, always answering with, oh yes my liege. Everyone else picked up on it and started going with it...He was such a smart ass.'  
  
A giant yawn stopped her and she wrapped her arms around his waist.  
  
'Want to tell you more...later... getting sleepy. We all got tattoos at one point, even dad and Gov. Lots of stories.'  
  
She trailed off and Nick began to wonder if she had finally fallen asleep, it was after 6 in the morning now, but then he heard her voice. Soft and young and vulnerable, so unlike her usual confident front. He had heard that voice before, after she had killed Kellogg and thought all hope was lost, in the middle of the night when the nightmares had come and left her shaking.  
  
'Aidan...before they had to go back...he gave me the ring and said it was his promise to me that he would come back.  
He died in the invasion of China. Nate was severely injured. I got the telegraph from dad and went into shock. I was crying and beating on the floor. I was alone.  
I saw how you looked when you held her. I didn't want you to be alone in that moment. I called work and tried to get the case for when I went back to work but I was informed of the deal that he made and told very sharply to drop it. I had to help you, Nicky. I couldn't do it before, but I could now. I'm sorry it took so long. That you, this you, doesn't matter the container, you're Nick Valentine.'  
  
Her apology broke something inside him and he brushed her hair with his hand, about to tell her it was okay when he noticed that Quinn was now sound asleep. He couldn't help it, he wanted it too much, she didn't even stir as he scooped her up and carried her to her bed. He kissed her lightly, mumbling softly.  
  
'He was right you know, doll, your eyes shine like the stars at the darkest point of the night.'  
  
She'd pretty much dropped everything to help him find Eddie Winter, he had said it earlier and it was just confirmed now. He would never be able to repay her for what she had done for him.  
  
_She dreamt Aidan was putting her to bed like he liked to do. But when she looked up it wasn't his eyes. Nick's yellow eyes looked at her and she could hear him talking to her, but couldn't make out what he said._  
  
Quinn smiled in her sleep, looking peaceful, young and innocent without all the burdens of this new world weighing on her. Nick setting himself down on the bed next to her, so he would be there if the dreams woke her. He would be there forever if she'd have him.  
  
(Sleep Baby Sleep - Broods)


	4. When Defeat Is Inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quinn seduces Nick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole chapter is pretty much just seduction edging into smut. First part Quinn and Nick find out what happened to Earl Sterling...rest of it is just naughty fun.

Quinn was staring at him, well glaring might be slightly more accurate. Trying to think of how best to communicate her point without wanting to smack him upside his head.  
  
_Damn stubborn man. Maybe I should just sit on his desk until he get's the hint....hmmm now there's an idea._  
  
She'd been trying to convince Nick to take a night off since they got back to Diamond City, what she really wanted to try was a date, but he wasn't taking the hint or he was still too nervous to try. He wasn't running away anymore and he'd gotten a bit more relaxed around her again, progress.  
They were still waiting on word from Doctor Amari, so they kept themselves busy with work.  
Ellie and Danny had broken up, so she was back at the agency and Nick spent most nights at Home Plate with her. But unless she was upset, he was usually buried in a file and would often wander off around Diamond City without her.  
Until they took the Castle back, they'd established some runners to bring news to her while she was in Diamond City. She'd work with them on Minutemen stuff and Nick would take the smaller cases for the agency. They worked the bigger cases together, they hadn't followed up with Nick's old partner Marty yet, but they'd found out what happened to poor Earl Sterling.  
  
Doctor Sun hadn't been happy with her, they'd convinced him to let them down to the cellar and found Doc Crocker. She had thought she had him convinced to turn himself in, then he killed himself, then Doctor Sun came down and they had to explain what happened.  
She stepped forward to confirm it was indeed Earl and the sight of his mangled body made her vomit in the corner. Even Nick looked slightly green around the gills somehow. Doctor Sun told them to leave, that he would take care of the mess and they had to go sit for a bit before feeling pulled together enough to go tell Ellie and Vadim.  
She could tolerate dead bodies, even the supermutant body bags didn't bother her that much, but that was because they didn't resemble anything human anymore really...Earl, even though she didn't know him, he was a person...he was someone her friends knew and cared for and he was in pieces.  
  
After that she was determined to take Nick out for the night. She knew it had bothered him, as well, by the way he threw himself into work. That seemed to be his coping mechanism for a lot of things, if something was bothering him, he'd work harder. Ellie confirmed the suspicion and agreed that Nick could use a night off. Quinn asked her to make herself scarce and that she was going to try something, but seeing Nick so focused, she also told Ellie that it might end up being a girls night with her and Piper if it didn't work.  
She told Nick she'd be back after a bit and he waved at her without looking up.  
  
First, she went to check with Becky, she had been fairly certain she'd seen a pair of stockings at one point. She was not a huge fan of stockings, but she had the sneaking suspicion that Nick would enjoy them. She found them and they were mostly intact, along with a garter belt, so she went ahead and grabbed them.  
Then she went home and took a quick shower, she wasn't sure if it was the heat that Nick put off, but the office would usually be quite warm even though the heat wave seemed to have finally ended and they were in very fall like weather. It was odd to her, it was New Year's Eve but it didn't feel like it, worried about what the new year would bring. She shook her head, trying to get her mind off that train of thought and looked in the mirror, trying to figure out what to do with her hair. Eventually, she just left it down, fluffing it a little, wanting to wear her hat.  
She finished her makeup and got everything on...the black lace knickers, the stockings, the black wrap dress. The flats slightly ruined the effect, but she wasn't going attempt walking around in heels. After making sure everything looked great, she pulled her trenchcoat on over it all, the one Ellie had given her, and dropped her fedora on top of her head. The dress and the coat were just about the same length, so all you could see was her stocking covered legs underneath. She debated for a bit before leaving her pipboy in the safe, not wanting to wear it, but not wanting to leave it out. It was late-afternoon at this point and she knew Nick would still be at the office until she went and got him.  
  
Quinn was leaving Home Plate when there was a giant crash as someone fell on the roof above Arturo's. She could see Arturo looking up and laughing. She wandered over, calling up to the man.  
  
'You okay up there?'  
  
'Yeah, yeah, just slipped fixing the roof.' The man's voice was rough and he faced away from her, slightly embarrassed looking.  
  
'Well, be careful, hell of a drop to the ground, lucky you only fell one floor.'  
  
Arturo had turned while she was speaking and reached out, giving her hand a kiss when he saw what she was wearing. She gave him a wink and waggled her eyebrows with a giggle as she made for the agency.  
  
She took a few deep breaths before pushing the door open. Nick's head was down, still focused on the file in front of him and there was a cloud of smoke circling around the ceiling.  
  
'You know you should take a break, Nicky.'  
  
(Stompa - Serena Ryder)  
  
'Eh, I don't need rest like you do, doll. We might have to make a trip to Goodneighbor. Lady says her husband has been missing for a few days, but if word is correct, he has a bit of a gambling problem and turns up eventually once his luck has run out. I figure if he's not back in another day or two we can go hunt him down.'  
  
Quinn couldn't help but roll her eyes, he hadn't looked up once as she perched herself up on her desk, her legs crossed, using the back of the client chair as a footrest. She cleared her throat a little and he STILL didn't look up.  
  
_Direct it is then._  
  
She stepped down and walked around to the side of his desk, flipping the file closed, he started looking up at her when she hopped up. Leaning on one hand as she swung her legs around so her crossed legs were dangling at his side. He had been about to say something when what she was wearing registered and she couldn't keep the grin off her face as he swallowed reflexively despite not actually needing to.  
She reached out, plucking the cigarette from his fingers and took a long drag. She examined the ring her lipstick left on the filter before putting it down on the ashtray, tilting her head back and blowing a smoke ring. Tilting her head to look down at him from under the bridge of her hat as he cleared his throat.  
  
'Uh, what can I do for ya, doll?'  
  
She smirked and couldn't resist poking a little fun, foot bobbing a bit, watching his eyes look down then move from her shoes up. They lingered briefly at the hem of the coat before moving slowly to her face. She pursed her lips slightly like she was fixing her lipstick and felt a surge of satisfaction and desire when his eyes flashed.  
  
'I need help detective, you see I have this partner and he's been lost in work for a while now. I was hoping you might be able to help me find something that would pull him back.'  
  
Nick cleared his throat and she could see his metal hand gripping the armrest. He started to say something, but just kind of stalled, reaching for the cigarette instead, taking a drag. He put the cigarette down, looking up at her, jumping as she reached out rubbing her thumb over his lower lip.  
  
'Lipstick, heh.'  
  
'Well, did you have anything in mind? What are some of this partners interests?'  
  
Quinn dropped her hat on the client chair, loosening the belt on her coat and unbuttoning it so it fell open, showing the dress beneath. Tapping a finger on her lower lip as she thought about the question.  
  
'Hmmm, well I know he enjoys a whisky and a cigarette at the end of the night...a good tune on the radio...a good book, though I did find that dime store detective novel in a drawer.'  
  
He laughed and shrugged a little, but she could see him shifting nervously in the chair.  
  
_Not ready._  
  
She hopped down, leaning over to brush her lips on his cheek, then wiped the lipstick off carefully.  
  
'I was hoping I could convince you to take a break, maybe come get a drink at the Dugout? It's New Years Eve...'  
  
'I could probably be convinced to join you for that, but it may be a little bit, I did have something I need to finish up first.'  
  
He was lying, but she could see that he was uncomfortable and didn't press further.  
  
'Okay, well I am going to head over there with Piper and Ellie then and grab some food. See you in a little bit?'  
  
'It's a date, doll.'  
  
She smiled brightly and retrieved her hat and closed her coat, heading out with a wink. She got around the corner and sighed just a little. That hadn't gone quite as well as she had hoped, but he was coming out, so it was progress. She wandered to Piper's and found them sitting on the couch waiting for her, they didn't seem surprised to see her.  
  
'Well?' Piper looked at her, gesturing to the outfit, 'You can't tell me you didn't get some kind of reaction in that get-up.'  
  
'Oh, he certainly seemed to like it, but he looked skittish. He is going to join us at the Dugout in a bit, but he said he had something to finish first. I think he just needed to pull himself together after the surprise.'  
  
'Well, let's go and you can take off the hat and coat when we get there and I bet Vadim will happily provide the drinks for his favourite lapochka.'  
  
Quinn and Ellie laughed at Piper's fairly accurate impression and after telling Nat they were heading out, they made for the Dugout. They could see Piper all smug as soon as they got settled and Vadim came over with a bottle of Bobrov's and some shot glasses for them. They each had a shot and ordered some food from Scarlett, waiting anxiously for Nick to arrive.  
  
-  
  
After she left he got up and locked the door, going upstairs to the loft, sitting on the edge of the bed.  
  
_Dear god, it's like she can read my mind and see every little fantasy that I've never admitted to anyone._  
  
He couldn't believe he was about to do this, but he couldn't exactly go to the Dugout in this state. He tossed his jacket and hat on the couch, loosening his tie and looking down.  
The instant he'd seen her stocking covered legs he was as hard as he had ever been and was scared to scoot his chair back in case she saw. He unfastened his belt and pants, sitting back on the bed, the pillow behind him but slightly propped against the wall staring at the object of his frustration.  
They'd shaped him like a man, he wasn't quite sure how it worked, but he was hard and pointing to his abdomen. It was covered in what looked like the same synthetic skin as his hands, not the panels, but the moulded flesh...a bit softer and more giving...  
  
_And oh, holy fuck, more sensitive...Jesus Christ._  
  
His covered hand wrapped around his length and gave it one slow pump. One wasn't enough and he started stroking up and down, groaning softly. He couldn't remember if this is what it had felt like as a human, but it was the most sensation he could ever remember feeling in this form, even with his new panels. Shuddering as he remembered his original thought that prompted getting the new panels, wondering what her lips would feel like wrapped around him. Imagining her pursing her lips like she did just a few minutes before.  
He let go and looked around a little frantically, getting up and looking in the bathroom, finding a little thing of lotion one of the ladies had left behind. He put a little in his hand, curious if he would be able to feel it, shuffling back to the bed. He slid his slick hand over his erection and made an odd noise at the back of his throat. There was a difference, it was lighter, more like a tingling sensation over the sensor net. He tried squeezing and twisting, finding what felt best.  
  
(We Move Easy - Welshly Arms)  
  
The combination of the pressure from his hand and the sensation of it sliding over his skin was driving him crazy. It was like the tingling electrical sensation was spreading all over his now intact skin, his coolant pumping hard, the internal fans working overtime. He tried to imagine her over him and it was too much. His vision greyed out a bit as the surge ran through him, worried for a moment when the fans sputtered out briefly before resuming. He had the overwhelming urge to gasp for air despite the face that he didn't need it and he desperately wanted a cigarette. Sitting back for a moment he just burst into a long hard laugh. He was still half hard and he started stroking till he reached his equivalent of an orgasm again.  
  
_Well, I guess I know all the equipment works now. Shit, better get cleaned up._  
  
He didn't have to worry about the mess of an orgasm, but he was still coated in lotion and wasn't sure how long he had been, not wanting to upset Quinn. He got a damp rag and wiped himself up, getting his clothes back in order and heading for the Dugout. It was considerably later than he expected, hoping she wouldn't be mad at him for taking his time.  
  
He had to chuckle when he walked in, it was obvious that Vadim had been favouring the ladies for the evening. Ellie and Piper were arm in arm, having a very animated drunken discussion and Quinn had somehow managed to get Yefim dancing with her to the tracks Travis had set up to play. Travis was sitting nearby tapping his foot along to the music and Hawthorne had a pretty little red head he was dancing with. The whole atmosphere was a lot more jovial than was typical for the Dugout. Vadim saw him and threw his arms out.  
  
'Nicky! You finally show up, come, come!'  
  
He started moseying to the bar when Quinn came swaying over, dragging him to where she had been dancing with Yefim and sliding into his arms. He could smell the moonshine and smoke on her, combined with the vanilla and the soft tang of her sweat, it was a pleasant scent. They swayed together and Nick tried to remember if he had ever danced. He had a few memories of it, but none in this body. Looking down smiling at her as she laughed.  
  
'Having a good time, doll?'  
  
'Oh, yes. Vadim kept handing out the shots. I think I may have revived an old tradition. Did you ever play quarters, Detective?'  
  
He laughed, raising an eyebrow at her, 'Valentine did in his younger days if I remember correctly. Why?'  
  
'Yefim was a little bit cranky, so I bet him that if I could bounce a cap into the shot glass, he had to dance with me. I grew up with army guys, it was an unfair contest.' She winked at Yefim, making the brothers laugh. 'What took you so long? We're probably going to have to round Ellie and Piper up soon, they had a little bit more than I did. I was thinking next time we should bring Preston and introduce him to Ellie.' Grinning and arching an eyebrow.  
  
'Aw, sorry doll. I lost track of time. I could see that, he's a good man. You say the word and I will happily escort you lovely ladies home.'  
  
She looked at him with a twinkle in her eye that meant trouble, raising an eyebrow at her. She just winked and went to the table, telling the ladies that it was time to go. They protested a bit, but after making a round of goodbyes, the four were staggering out of the door. Nick was practically carrying Ellie and Piper was leaning heavily on Quinn, making it a bit harder for Quinn to walk seeing as she wasn't fully steady herself.  
He hurried over to the agency and tucked Ellie into bed, leaving some water nearby for her, and headed back to Piper's. Quinn was tucking her in with Nat's help. After Nat assured them that they would be fine, Quinn took Nick's arm and they wandered back to Home Plate.  
  
Quinn hung up her coat and hat, kicking her shoes off with a little happy groan.  
  
'Did you finish what you were working on?'  
  
Nick was glad he couldn't blush, 'Uh, yeah...took care of everything.'  
  
_Uh oh._  
  
She had that twinkle in her eye again, he was sitting on the airplane chairs across from the door and she wandered over till she was standing in front of him. She stood there long enough that Nick was about to say something when all of a sudden her hands were gathering the hem of her dress as she straddled his lap, sitting back slightly on his knees so they weren't fully touching yet. Both his eyebrows shot up and he felt that surge of desire again.  
  
'Um, Quinn?'  
  
'Yes, Nicholas?'  
  
He couldn't think of anything to say, he was too busy wondering if the tie at her waist was decorative or functional and what she might be wearing underneath. His hands came to rest on her hips lightly, watching the amazing range of emotions playing across her face. He frowned briefly, remembering the look on Irma's face, but when he focused back on her she was shaking her head looking upset.  
  
'Doll?'  
  
She cupped his face and brushed her lips over his lightly, leaving him leaning into her as suddenly she slid off his lap.  
  
-  
  
She wanted to sigh but she recognised the doubt that rejection caused playing across his face. Whatever this Irma had done, it left a lasting impression on Nick. She had to suppress the brief surge of anger for the woman she'd never met.  
Quinn cupped his face and kissed him softly before she slid back off his lap. He looked up at her, confused, but she just ran her hand over his jaw lightly.  
  
'I want you...I want you badly, Nicky. But I can see doubt on your face and I don't want you to have any reason to doubt me.' Leaning over, nuzzling his jaw now, 'I can wait till the morning. I can wait till your comfortable and want it too. No excuse that I had too much to drink or anything else, just you and me.'  
  
Her knees went slightly weak at the little groan he gave while she nuzzled him, thinking about it for a moment, pulling back looking into his face. Cupping his cheeks and pressing her forehead to his, lips ghosting over his lightly. 'But, if you'll let me, I'd like to show you how you've been making me feel.' Quinn pulled back enough to see his eyebrows shoot up in surprise, clearing his throat but not finding words, just nodding at her.  
  
_God, he's so sweet._  
  
She smiled brightly and left him for just a moment, going to get her pipboy and the holotape she'd found. Ever since she'd heard it, she'd been fantasising about doing this for him. Popping the tape in and setting it down on the chair next to him, hitting play. Watching his reaction as she started to sway her hips to the music, trying so hard not to giggle nervously when he realised what was going on and the grin spread across his face.  
  
(Feelin Love - Paula Cole)  
  
Pushing him back into the chair and tilting his hat back so he could see fully, caressing his face and leaning into him as she sang along.  
  
_You make me feel like a sticky pistil_  
_Leaning into her stamen_  
  
She wrapped her fingers around his lapels, pulling him forward just a little.  
  
_You make me feel like Mr Sunshine himself_  
  
Brushing her lips over his lightly, pulling away as he leant forward more.  
  
_You make me feel like splendor in the grass where we're rolling  
Damn skippy baby_  
  
Turning around, sitting down on his lap, hearing his little sound of surprise. Blushing brightly, feeling a distinct hardness at her back, moaning softly as she took his hands, placing them on her knees and sliding up just a little.  
  
_You make me feel like the Amazon's running between my thighs_  
  
She began to think that this may have been a horrible idea, she was so turned on it was ridiculous. She squirmed, grinding back into him with a soft gasp.  
  
_You make me feel love_  
  
Sliding off his lap and standing, swaying in front of him again, leaning over and giving him a deep kiss. She grinned as she pulled back, her lipstick was smeared all over his mouth, she knew she probably wasn't fairing much better.  
  
_You make me feel like a candy apple all red and horny_  
  
She took his metal hand, placing it on the tie of her dress. As soon as he had a hold of it, she pulled backwards so it came undone. She knew he didn't have to breathe, that made his gasp all the more satisfying as she shrugged the dress off, dropping it on the floor.  
  
_You make me feel like I want to be dumb blonde  
In a centerfold, the girl next door_  
  
Turning around for him slowly, sliding her hands over her hips slowly.  
  
_And I would open the door and I'd be all wet  
With my tits soaking through this tiny little t-shirt_  
  
Leaning forward so he got an up close and personal view of the lace holding her chest in. As soon as he started leaning forward into her she backed off again.  
  
_That I'm wearing and you would open the door_  
  
Leaning back against the front door, cupping her chest, thumbs circling over her hard nipples. Doing her best saunter, hips swaying as she walked towards the bed, crawling onto it, looking at him over her shoulder. His voice just a low growl...  
  
'Jesus, doll...'  
  
_And tie me up to the bed_  
  
She lay down on her back, sliding her hands over her chest, down her stomach, one hand drifting over the front of her panties. She couldn't help but groan softly, she was so wet.  
  
_You make me feel love_  
  
Biting her lip, blushing brightly as she realised her thighs were sticky with her excitement. Lying on her back, gasping as Nick stood, standing at the end of the bed watching her. Squirming on the bed, whimpering for him softly.  
  
_Lover, I don't know who I am.  
Am I Barry White - am I Isis?_  
  
She arched her back, rolling her hips up with a soft moan. She couldn't focus on the music anymore and she had to stop before she came just from him watching her. Sitting up and crawling to the end of the bed, kneeling up and grabbing his tie, pulling him down for a kiss.  
Quinn pulled back when she couldn't breathe, hanging onto his coat like she was drowning. Nick was looking down at her, slightly dazed and soon she was giggling, cupping his face and kissing him again as the music ended.  
  
'Oh dear God...that was a lot hotter then I was planning.'  
  
She placed little kisses all over his face before sitting back on the bed, blushing brightly. He was just standing there and she was starting to feel self-conscious. She slid off the bed, standing, a bit wobbly. She was about to head to the bathroom when his arm shot out, grabbing her and pulling her to his chest, leaning over slightly as his hands rested on her hips. She slid her arms in his coat, wrapping around his waist, looking up at him shyly.  
  
'Hi there.'  
  
'Hi there.'  
  
He let go of her hips, holding her face and kissing her sweetly. Brushing her hair back from her face, grinning at her.  
  
'That certainly was unexpected.'  
  
'Well, I kept trying to get you to take a break...finally had to do something drastic.'  
  
'I'll have to keep this in mind, next time you ask me to take a break.'  
  
Quinn giggled and pulled back a bit, 'One second, I need to grab a damp rag.'  
  
She ran to the bathroom, wiping her thighs quickly and washing her face. Grabbing a clean rag and wetting it, padding back out. She felt silly wandering around in her knickers and the stockings, but the desire in Nick's eyes made it totally worth it. She stopped, just looking at him with a soft smile.  
He was sitting on the end of the bed, he'd taken off his jacket and hat, hanging them next to hers. She was surprised, she occasionally saw him without his coat, but rarely without his hat. He'd retrieved the ash tray and was having a cigarette, lipstick smeared around his mouth and dotting his face. He watched her as she watched him, arching an eyebrow at her. That got her moving again and she went, nudging his legs apart so she could stand between them, gently wiping the lipstick off his face. Quinn gave him another soft kiss before going to put the rag away.  
She wandered back and started poking through her drawers for a change of clothes when suddenly she was pulled back against Nick.  
  
'Mmmm, leave them on, doll, I like them.'  
  
Quinn blushed, squirming in his arms, grinding back against him. 'I suppose, but there is no way in hell I'm going to be able to fall asleep with this bra on. Are you going to stay in bed with me?'  
  
She turned to look up at him, seeing his eyes bright, nodding just a little. She pushed him back onto his side of the bed so he was leaning back, watching her curiously. She turned away from him playfully, reaching back and unsnapping the bra, sliding out of it and placing it on the dresser. She crossed her arms over her chest, covering herself slightly as she turned, sliding into bed next to him. Quinn pulled the covers up and then scooted closer to his side, resting her head on his chest with a little yawn. She smiled and practically purred as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
'Rest, Quinn.'  
  
'...Audra...my first name is Audra.'  
  
'Audra, huh...I like it. Suits you.' She felt Nick kissing the top of her head and she let sleep take her.  
  
-  
  
Audra stretched with a big yawn, she hadn't slept that well in a long time. Smiling when she felt the body next to hers...then flushing, remembering the night before. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking at Nick, biting her lower lip. She could feel his eyes moving over her and she realised she must have kicked the blankets off at some point. She was lying there in the lace panties and the stockings and nothing else.  
Well, mostly nothing else...she'd found some captive bead rings in an old tattoo/piercing parlour and after sanitising them she was indeed able to put the rings back in. She had to smirk a little when Nick's eyes moved to her chest and she watched his face contort in surprise.  
  
'Hey, Valentine...'  
  
She sat up and scooted over to him, leaning into his side tentatively. When he wrapped his arm around her, she couldn't help but grin, snuggling close. Tilting her head up and kissing him softly, gently...again, a question. He deepened the kiss and Audra gave a happy little moan, holding onto his shoulders and sliding over to straddle his lap, shivering as he started kissing her neck and ear. It felt different but nice and it was NICK, that made it even better. She scooted forward until she was moulded against him, rolling her hips just a little. They both moaned and he pushed her back by her shoulders so their hips were still joined but she was leaning back on her arms.  
He lifted his metal hand, looking at her and hooking one of the rings delicately. Watching her face as he pulled gently, not rough, just enough to see the reaction.  
  
'Ohhh fuck, Nick. Please...'  
  
(Personal Jesus - Marilyn Manson)  
  
Apparently that was enough assurance for him and he let go of the nipple ring, grabbing her hips and thrusting against her with a moan. She leaning up, kissing him hard, all tongue and teeth and muffled moans. Scrambling to pull his tie and shirt off, breaking the kiss, looking at his bare chest. His new paneling was smooth, now it was her turn to test the waters. Licking at his lower lip lightly, dragging her nails down his chest. He gave a most satisfying moan and she wanted more. Wrapping her legs around his waist and arms around his back, kissing passionately as she raked her nails over his back too.  
  
'MMmmmm Audra...'  
  
'More Nicky, please, oh god more.'  
  
She grabbed his covered hand and moved just enough that she could slide it between her legs, the bit of lace already soaked in her juices. Whimpering as his fingers moved it aside, teasing her, just rubbing over the outside. She couldn't help the little strangled noise when he brushed over her clit. He looked slightly startled or worried and started to pull his hand back and she growled in frustration, reaching between them and wrapping her fingers around his hardness, making him groan.  
  
'I'll tell you if something hurts or if I don't want you to do something, but fuck Nick, I want you so bad. Please, please, don't stop.'  
  
Audra gave him a soft sweet kiss before she started stroking him softly, pausing only to try and get his pants undone. She laughed a little, struggling with them. Looking up at him pleadingly...  
  
'Help, please?'  
  
She scooted off his lap, lying back on the bed, working her panties off. Watching him get his pants unfastened, sliding his pants and boxers down slowly, watching her face nervously. Audra just licked her lips at the sight of him, reaching down, rubbing her own clit. She was so wet and aching, letting out a little scream as Nick's fingers replaced hers, bucking her hips wildly. Gasping and whimpering as she felt like every inch of her skin was on fire. She reached up, pulling on the nipple rings a bit, she couldn't stop her orgasm when his mouth clamped down on one nipple. Flicking the ring and the tip of her nipple with his tongue softly and she groaned as he worked a finger in her slowly.  
  
'God, you're so wet.'  
  
'You make me feel so good Nicky...I want...I...'  
  
She couldn't focus as he drove his finger in and out, thumbing her clit. Her juices coated his hand and Audra just bucked up until she felt another orgasm approaching, whimpering and pushing him back. She didn't give him time to get worried, shoving him on his back, staring at his cock and leaning over to give it a little curious lick. They'd done an excellent job in shaping him and at Nick's encouraging sounds she swirled her tongue around the flared head. He tried grabbing her shoulders and pulling her up, but she just shook her head.  
  
'Mmm, your turn love.'  
  
She wrapped her lips around him and started working her way down, getting frustrated with herself a bit for not being able to take all of him, head bobbing before pulling back with a little sigh. It was odd, the absence of any kind of taste really, none of the sweat and tang of a human. Audra licked her lips and sat back on her knees, sliding her hand to his, lacing her fingers with his metal hand. Leaning over and kissing tenderly before lying on her back, unable to stop the blush. Feeling really nervous now, looking up at him, asking with her eyes and a little tug on his hand.  
She bit her lower lip as he moved, hovering over her, her core pressed against his waist. He was heavy and solid, Audra was trembling in anticipation.  
  
'Are you sure, Audra...?'  
  
'Yes, Nick. I want you.' Her voice was shaking and she caressed his cheek softly.  
  
Audra held onto his arms as Nick shifted down slightly so that his length was just resting over her slit. His face was intense, watching her the entire time, he tilted his head back a little, groaning.  
  
'So warm...so wet, doll. God, why are you so good to me...'  
  
His voice was rough and it made her tremble with desire and emotion, she squirmed under him, thrusting her hips up. Grinding and rocking, covering his sex in her excitement, trying to angle her hips. He reached down, hooking one of her legs with his arm, pulling her up so her hips were off the bed. He lined himself up, just letting the head rub against her lips slowly and she groaned, smacking his arm when she saw the little smirk. He pulled her leg, directing it around his hip and he took a hold of himself, rubbing the head on her harder. Audra moaned and whined a bit, she was happy he was feeling more confident, but if he didn't fuck her soon she was going to fall apart.  
  
'Jesus fucking Christ Nick, you're killing me. I need....'  
  
Her words and her moan were smothered as Nick leant down, kissing her deeply as he slid into her slowly. She felt him stretching her open bit by bit, wrapping her other leg around his waist and pushing with her heels. He was moaning and shuddered slightly. She could hear his inner fans working hard.  
He released her lower lip with a small nip and started to thrust slowly, slower than she wanted.  
  
'Oh god, Nicholas Valentine, fuck me now or roll over so I can ride you.'  
  
Audra leant up, biting the flesh of his shoulder, pleased at the sound he made and the slap of flesh as he thrust into her deeply.  
  
'Yes..yesss. Oh god yes...'  
  
He pushed himself up so he was kneeling, gripping her hips tightly and pulling her to meet his thrusts. She knew she was going to have bruises from where his hands were digging into her hips and that made her happy...the thought of having his mark, a reminder of him even after they were done.  
He started pounding her in earnest. The sounds their joined bodies were making were loud and wet and vulgar and hotter than hell. She cried out, gasping as the next orgasm hit her, her inner walls clamping down around him tight. He groaned and had to push harder against her, hips losing their rhythm momentarily.  
  
'Jesus...'  
  
Audra was shaking but she squirmed hard as she was coming down from the rush, unwrapping her legs and squirming backwards. Nick looked at her confused until she rolled over, pushing her ass back at him. He held onto her hips with one hand, lining himself up again, he was about to start thrusting again but she couldn't wait. She started rocking on her hands and knees, driving herself back onto him hard and fast.  
  
'Fuck...ohhh fuck yes Nick....ohhh god I'm yours love, take me.'  
  
He leant over, placing a soft kiss in the middle of her back before grabbing a fistful of hair, her head pulled back.  
  
_Ohhh holy fuck yes, so good._  
  
She loved having her hair pulled and held like that and she rocked faster, riding him through her orgasm.  
  
'That's it, cum for me, doll.'  
  
His fans sounded like they were losing the battle, but all she could think of was how good Nick felt. She used her inner muscles to start clamping down on him rhythmically, grinding her hips in little circles. Her hands were balled into fists, gripping the sheets tightly, sweat dripping from her face.  
Nick grabbed her hips hard with a loud groan, his thrusting stopping, just gently rocking. Slowing until he came to a stop, pulling out of her slowly.  
  
Audra couldn't get herself to move, her ass up in the air with her face smooshed into the bed, just enjoying every twitch and sensation.  
  
'Mmm, you okay?' He sounded so content, but concerned for her, rubbing a hand over her bottom softly. Leaning over to her side so he could see her.  
  
She turned her head to the side, but couldn't get her mouth to work, leaning her hips till her body fell over. Lying there on her side, just smiling at him, blinking a few times.  
  
'Let me get something...'  
  
Nick climbed off the bed and Audra didn't realise she'd closed her eyes till she felt the bed shifting. She opened her eyes, smiling at him again, moaning as he pushed apart her legs and cleaned her with a damp rag gently. Whimpering softly and arching into his touch, making him chuckle. His tone was a bit smug, wiping himself and setting the rag aside.  
  
'Still want more, darlin? You look like you could use a nap first.'  
  
He helped her out of the now sticky stockings before lying back down, scooping her into his arms and kissing her tenderly. His fingers ran up and down her spine gently as she rested her head on his chest, her voice thick and sleepy.  
  
'All the parts minus a few red blood cells indeed...'  
  
He flicked a nipple softly.  
  
'And aren't you full of surprises counsellor...'

He guffawed and she smiled, eyes fluttering closed as she drifted off, enjoying the soft rumble of the laughter in his chest.


	5. The Limiters of Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Audra enjoy their blossoming relationship. The pair makes a run to Bunker Hill to work out some trade routes where they encounter an odd caravaneer. They return to Sanctuary and Nick struggles with jealousy again. A runner brings word that Amari wants them to come to Goodneighbor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brain kind of fizzled out towards the end there, but I wanted Nick and Audra to have some happy fun times before reality pulled them back into hell. Might rewrite that last bit at some point, but will probably start on the next section first.

They didn't leave the house for two and a half days.  
  
Towards the end of the first day there was a knock on the door and Audra peeked her head out, letting Ellie know that they were okay and would be...busy for a little bit.  
He could hear her laughter as she wandered off, Audra closing the door with a little grin, he would have blushed if he could.  
  
She was quick to distract him from his thoughts though.  
  
-  
  
He'd have thought he'd somehow managed to dream or hallucinate if weren't for her warm body still curled next to his, snoring softly in her sleep. He'd tried slipping out of the bed at one point but she just flung an arm and leg over him and fell into a deeper sleep.  
  
He lay there for a few hours, just staring at her. His eyes memorising the arch of her shoulder, the soft slope of her stomach, the curve of her hip, the line of her legs. The quote popped in his head and he thought it was fitting...  
  
_That pleasure which is at once the most pure, the most elevating and the most intense, is derived, I maintain, from the contemplation of the beautiful. (Edgar Allan Poe)_  
  
He briefly tried to remain objective...she was loud, she swore too much, she gave her heart too freely, she drank and smoked too much, her skin was marked and scarred, she'd lost weight but still had thick thighs and a stomach...and she was the most gorgeous thing he thought he'd ever laid eyes on. None of the supposed flaws mattered. He played back the morning and the night before in his mind, she'd taken him...all of him, without hesitation. She looked at him with such affection and desire in her eyes and remembering the sound of her calling his name made him stir again.  
  
_She called me love...does she...? Don't read into it to much...but it was nice..._  
  
Nick ran his covered fingers through her hair, nuzzling the top of her head. The vanilla had faded, instead she smelled like sex and sweat, making him groan softly. She moved and he went still, a bit embarrassed for lusting after her so strongly, but his mind had started down that train of thought though and he couldn't stop it.  
  
He scooted down on the bed, placing soft kisses on her shoulder, his metal fingertips gliding over her back gently. He couldn't see her back from this angle, but he lightly traced over where he'd seen the tattoo between her shoulder blades, high on her back. He'd caught flashes of it several times, but was too distracted to actually examine it. She moaned softly, her eyes still closed, but she pressed her body against his sweetly. He rolled her onto her back gently, trying not to rouse her just yet. He sat there looking at her for a bit before deciding on what he wanted to do, scooting down to the end of the bed, then the small raised white lines caught his attention.  
She'd told him about them but he hadn't noticed them earlier, now his eyes were drawn to them and he worried for her, she'd talked about no longer having her medication...would she fall back to this, trying to trade one pain for another? He leant down, softly kissing the scars. There were so many, much more than her arm, maybe 20-30 or more of them on each side. He felt like his mechanical heart would break, thinking of her in pain like that and he tried to give each and every one of them a soft kiss.  
Quinn...Audra squirmed slightly, moaning softly, he turned his face up to look at her. It was hard not to think of her as Quinn at first, that was what he'd gotten used to but the more he thought about it, the more her first name suited her better. She blinked at him sleepily, blushing, seeing him between her thighs. Her voice was a little rough, still sleepy sounding.  
  
'Hey, Valentine...whatcha doing?'  
  
'Wishing I could kiss away your old pains.'  
  
He kissed and nuzzled her thigh softly, making her moan again, squirming underneath him. He was suddenly rock hard. He could smell her excitement and feel the heat coming off of her. He scooted up just slightly, sliding one arm over her leg and moving to cup her hip softly, scowling when he saw the little bruises there. He looked between them and there were bruises on both sides, dotting her hips.  
  
_You hurt her....how the hell are you so blind, Valentine? When did you become so unobservant that you keep missing things like her tattoo, and her scars, and the bruises you left on her. This is what happens when you get distracted..._  
  
He was pulled out of his thoughts when she cupped his face and turned him to look at her, frowning a little at him.  
  
'Where'd you go there?'  
  
'I hurt you.'  
  
She sighed and caressed his face softly, 'It's okay, you know. I was actually quite excited thinking about them earlier. Knowing that I'd have that little reminder of our first time together for the days to come. I'm not delicate and fragile, love. I liked it that you were so excited you gripped me hard, I loved when you pulled at my hair...I love spanks and bites and having such passionate hard sex that I feel it the next day. It doesn't have to be that way all the time and I know not everyone is comfortable with some of those things, but a couple little bruises are fine.'  
  
'I...I've never been with anyone like you, Audra...even before the women I had been with were a bit more...reserved...and I've never done anything in this body, till now. What if I hurt you?'  
  
'I told you this morning, I'll tell you if you do...we just have to make sure to keep talking. We got a little caught up in our excitement earlier and that's okay. We don't have to worry about STD's or pregnancy. Let's see...uh, my hard limits are face slapping, I like dirty talk but not harsh degradation or humiliation, no to bathroom play, bestiality, corpses, anyone too young...uhhh...I'm sure there's probably more, but those are the big ones that come to mind.'  
  
She pulled him up, so he was draped over her and kissed him softly, over and over. Holding him tight and nuzzling him.  
  
'I didn't really get into much detail when I told you Nate and Aidan before...we were all in a relationship...together...the three of us. And we were all young and horny, so we tried a lot of different things, finding out what we liked. If there is something you want to try or anything you know wouldn't like, we just have to talk about it, love. I want you to be happy and feel good.'  
  
'Okay...'  
  
He was still upset, but the feeling of her hands rubbing up and down his back panels was nice and she was looking at him again, looking at him with all this affection that he couldn't understand. She wiggled until she could get her arms up around hims neck, pulling him down for a deep kiss that left her breathless. He could feel himself stirring again and after another kiss he was pressing hard into her hip.  
  
'Mmmm scoot just a little, love.'  
  
Audra was grinning and squirming underneath him, trying to move him between her legs, but he recalled what he had been planning on doing before getting distracted. Nipping her lower lip softly and letting his thumbs rub over her nipples. He was always careful of his metal hand, but he loved how she squirmed when he touched her with it.  
  
'There was something...I wanted to do.'  
  
She just smiled at him sweetly and he felt like he would burst with love for her, she lay back, nodding a little and letting him take the lead.  
  
(You - Greta Isaac)  
  
He started kissing his way down her body. Jaw to neck to shoulder, taking his time working down her chest, taking one nipple in his mouth, then the other. He nipped at one tentatively and she arched with a delicious little moan, encouraged, he started down again, lightly trailing kisses over her stomach. He glanced up and her head was back on the pillows, eyes closed, biting her lower lip. Nick tilted his head back down, taking special care with her hips, kissing each bruise. He nipped her one hip and had to laugh when she yelped, jerking away, laughing.  
  
'Ohhh, little bit ticklish, doll?'  
  
He did it again, laughing when she threatened him, she was adorable when she pouted. She tried to squirm away any time he got close to her hips, so he dipped, placing a tender kiss on the soft skin just above the little patch of hair. He could hear her gasp and she went still, he knew if he looked up she would be watching him. He rolled so he was between her legs, a hand on each thigh, holding her open for him. He felt the scars under his fingers again, pulling back just a little, he looked at her thigh thoughtfully before he dipped his head. He bit gently, giving her time to say stop, but she just moaned and he felt her hands rubbing the top of his head. He clamped his teeth a bit harder and still, she didn't ask him to stop, so he started sucking the soft flesh into his mouth, his tongue lightly tracing the inside of his teeth. He looked up, he wanted to see her face, but was distracted by the wetness he could see coating her lips so close to his face. He released her thigh with a little pop and it gave him an almost primal pleasure, seeing his mark on her. He repeated the motion on her other thigh, leaving another dark circle over the pale scars. He looked at the little bruises on her hips again and this time he didn't look at them with worry. She said she liked the thought of having a reminder of them together and he looked at them the way he looked at the marks on her thighs, finding that he quite liked the idea, as well. He kissed her hip tenderly and she whined softly.  
  
'Mmmm, patience, doll.' He moved down a little, blowing a little air over her labia. 'You look so wonderful, doll. Glistening and excited. I can feel the heat coming off you, lighting up my sensors...'  
  
She let go of his head and balled her hands up in the sheets, his hands tightened reflexively on her thighs and that caused her to buck and grind right against his face. He could feel the heat and wetness, he looked up and her face was bright red and embarrassed, all Nick could do was what he had wanted to all morning. Audra called his name sweetly as he plunged his tongue in and out of her. He'd get into a rhythm and then change it suddenly making her whimper and beg. Tonguing her opening, sucking on one lip than the other, nibbling softly on her clit. He let go of her thighs so he could move around, working a finger into her slowly. Her legs made their way over his shoulders, wrapping around his head and keeping his face buried in her.  
  
_God damn woman is going to kill me...Jesus she tastes good._  
  
He was coming to love how she was so unrepentant of her desires, rather than being forced to be meek, he could never imagine her any other way. He teased a startled groan out of her when he licked from ass to clit a few times in quick succession, looking at him wild eyed. Scrambling, begging, moaning, pulling at his shoulders. He moved up so he was over her and was startled when she shoved him hard, wrangling him until he was on his back and Audra was over him, sinking down on him till he was completely buried in her.  
  
'Holy FUCK!' _She IS going to kill me. Need to file her reaction away for later use..._  
  
'Mmmmm such language, detective...'  
  
She smirked at him playfully, her hands were hot on his chest and then she started moving and he thought he was going to crash or burn up or something. She was squatting rather than kneeling and was soon bouncing hard and fast. He held onto her knees to help keep her steady and groaned, watching her breasts bounce. Audra slowed her pace a little, seeing him watch her and had a wicked glint in her eyes. He groaned as she slowed completely, going down onto her knees, still on him but not moving.  
  
'D..d...doll?'  
  
He stuttered when she started doing something amazing, clenching around him, but otherwise not moving. She cupped her tits and then arched her back so they were on view for him.  
  
'I saw you staring Nick, did you like watching me bounce on you?'  
  
She didn't wait for an answer, just started tugging her nipples with a soft moan, eyes fluttering closed. And then when they opened again, she had him gripping her hips and bucking against her. She lifted one of her heavy breasts and he watched her amazing fucking lips wrap around a nipple. She sucked and licked at both her nipples, playing with the rings while he started pounding her, thrusting himself up wildly. He moved, growling and sitting up, biting on the soft upper curve of her breast. Giving it the same treatment that he'd given her thighs, marking one then the other. He groaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply, crying out against his mouth as she came hard. Her orgasm making her tighten and clench around him, he was making needy sounds against her mouth, but he couldn't hear it over the inner roar of his coolant and fans. She felt so good, he wanted to stay right here forever.  
  
'Nick? Nick??....Nicholas? There you are....are you okay?'  
  
Her face was right in front of his, slowly coming into focus and she was still wrapped around him.  
  
'Oh god, I thought I killed you or something, you just went so still and your eyes dimmed.'  
  
She pressed her forehead against his, kissing deeply, and then hugging him so tight if he had needed to breathe she might have suffocated him. He raised his hands and kissed her lovingly, brushing her hair back from her face.  
  
'I'm okay, Audra, i'm okay. I think I got stuck in some kind of feedback loop and had to reboot some systems.' He nibbled her lower lip tenderly, playing with her hair. 'You feel so goddamn good.'  
  
He softened under her just a bit, but they stayed pressed together tight. He circled his arms around her waist and she loosened her grip around his neck so she could lean down and rest her head on his shoulder. She was rubbing his upper back when the motion reminded him of earlier.  
  
'What's your tattoo?'  
  
'Oh, here!'  
  
She untangled herself from him and he was about to protest the loss of contact, but she turned around and straddled his lap again, backing her ass up into him. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and leaned forward a little so he could see the tattoo.  
It was about the size of a deck of cards and it was a heart with a little crown resting on the right curve. Nick traced the lines softly with a metal finger, then leant forward, placing a kiss on it.  
  
'Mmmmm...I told you about how Aidan called me Queenie, that's really what started it. I was hanging around the base the one day, waiting for the guys to get off because we were going to go out. I was sitting on a workbench, teasing Nate over something and he said that I was breaking his heart, then Aidan said that it was mine to break because I was the Queen of Hearts. One of the other guys in the shop overheard and said something about how we weren't playing with a full deck, so I assigned all the guys a card and suit. I based it off of this one video game psychology classification I read once...Hearts are the socializers, I tried to convince them to let me be the Queen of Diamonds instead because Diamonds are the Achievers, but they said nope. Then Clubs are the Killers and Spades are the Explorers. I assigned one to Aidan, Nate, Gov, and my dad.'  
  
Audra squirmed a little and Nick felt himself stir, he motioned for her to sit back and she swung her legs around, sitting between his legs and lying back on his chest. Nick kissed her shoulder softly, teasing her.  
  
'What else?'  
  
'I had a journal I was always writing poems and doodling it, Aidan saw it one time and swiped it from me, looking at the drawings. He really liked what I had done and asked me to draw it larger, large enough so he could get a tattoo. He was a smooth little shit when he wanted to be and was waxing poetic about how I was the queen and he was proud to be one of my kings and he always wanted a reminder of it. This was before we got together, so I was all aflutter at his words.'  
  
Nick stilled, frowning a little as he remembered meeting Mama Murphy for the first time and how she was talking about how he was one of the kings.  
  
_Going to have to ask her next time we get up that way...odd coincidence that...though Sturges did say she was psychic._  
  
He shook his head a little and switched to kissing the other side.  
  
'And then?'  
  
'I drew it up for him, then I decided to draw mine. Nate saw them and then of course he wanted his too. One night we were having a barbeque and I was holding Gov's son little Max, talking with his wife Susan, she was trying to convince me not to get a tattoo - that proper young ladies did not go out and get tattoos. Susan was lovely, but she never understood me in the slightest and I think the guys saw that I was upset, because next think I know Dad and Gov were asking for theirs too. That we were a family, we were The Suits and we would all wear it proud. So I drew them up and one of the guys that Gov and I played poker with, he was a tattoo artist, so we all went to him and got our tattoos done. For the sake of decorum and Susan's delicate sensibilities, I got it on my back where it could be hidden by clothing, but the guys all got theirs on the forearm. I have the original drawings in the safe at Sanctuary.'  
  
She paused to turn around again, kissing softly and settling against his chest.  
  
'I was actually considering seeing if Doctor Sun would remove it from my back and then redo it on my forearm...over my scars. I know Doc Crocker had the equipment, but I don't know if Sun would do that. I know he doesn't like the cosmetic side of things very much. But I want it where I can see it and enjoy it and remember them.'  
  
'That would be nice, doll. I'm sure you could convince him, you're persuasive like that...'  
  
He dipped his head and gave her another kiss. Soon enough they were tangled up again. She was so responsive, even when she was trembling and on the verge of sleep, she'd be arching into his touch. He tried going back through Valentine's old memories, to see if he'd had anything similar, but it had never been like this. There were a few others, then there was Jenny, but they were all 'proper' ladies...whatever the hell that was. Lights off, missionary, quiet. Audra threw all of that out the window and he was actually grateful that he was around to be here for her, even if he wasn't flesh and blood. She made him FEEL and ache and love.  
They were curled up in bed and Audra was out again, he couldn't help but stroke her hair and give her a gentle kiss, mumbling to her softly.  
  
'I love you, Audra.'  
  
'...mmm love you too Nicky.'  
  
He sat there the entire night with a giant grin on his face.  
  
-  
  
'Okay, well now we have deals with Carla, Cricket, Lucas, and Doc Weathers. Bunker Hill has agreed to a 10% discount for Minutemen and I paid a ridiculous amount of caps so we can build our own shack against the eastern wall. But then at least we can have someone hang out here if we need to and have beds for patrols if they're in the area...but for tonight, I guess I'm renting a room. Then I think a drink and bed. We should probably head back to Sanctuary tomorrow to check in and figure out who we can send over to build.'  
  
'Sounds like a plan, doll...stop scratching.'  
  
'I know, I know. I guess I should go see if I can find some kind of lotion to help with the healing.'  
  
Audra had been able to convince Doctor Sun to help with her tattoo and she was very pleased but the new tattoo on her forearm kept itching under her suit. She was eventually able to find some kind of concoction made from tarberries and glowing fungus that the local doc, Kay, had said was good for the skin and minor wounds. She tried a little bit on her wrist and figured if she didn't break out by the morning, she'd try it on the tattoo and maybe buy more for all over. She sighed a little, wondering if there was some kind of conditioner, she did not like feeling all dried out and already felt like the Commonwealth was aging her.  
She dumped her stuff off in the little room and went downstairs to grab a drink and some food. Nick was talking with someone he had helped previously so she was on her own for a little bit. She finished off her food and ordered a couple beers. The younger man that had been asking about the Railroad earlier was fussing with the radio that was refusing to work.  
  
'I can take a peek at that, if it's okay and see if I can figure out what's wrong. Got a screwdriver?'  
  
He gladly handed over the radio and screw driver and Audra couldn't help but hum and sing quietly while she worked.  
  
'Why don't you sing for us, since the radio isn't working? Sounds like you have a good voice.'  
  
She looked over at the caravan worker, he'd been sitting at the end of the bar nursing a whisky, but Audra had noticed he was...off. One, she was certain she had seen and heard him before, but she wasn't immediately placing where. Two, he'd been nursing the same whisky for like a hour. He made a good show of drinking it, but she'd noticed when she ordered another beer and he was still just sitting there.  
Audra thought about it for a moment, getting the faceplate of the radio off so she could take a look inside and started tapping her foot against the front of the bar while she poked around inside.  
  
(Master Hunter - Laura Marling)  
  
_I am a master hunter  
I cured my skin, now nothing gets in  
Nothing not as hard as it tries_  
  
_You want a woman cause you want to be saved  
Well I'll tell you that I got a little lot on my plate  
Well if you want a woman who can call your name, it ain't me babe  
No, no, no, it ain't me babe_  
  
Nick finished talking with the settler and wandered back over, standing next to the stairs and having a cigarette, watching her affectionately.  
She caught Mr Caravan Man looking between her and Nick out of the corner of her eye. Fiddling with the wiring in the radio.  
  
_I don't stare at water anymore,  
Water doesn't do what it did before  
It took me in into the edge of insane when I only meant to swim  
I nearly put a bullet in my brain when the rhythm took me in_  
  
She found the problem, the little loose wire not fully connecting to the dial. She fixed it then started putting the faceplate back on.  
  
_I am a master hunter_  
  
_You let men into your bed  
They don't know you well  
They can't get into my head  
They don't have a hope in hell_  
  
A couple of the other caravaneers had wandered over, grabbing beers and listening in.  
  
_See the thing is we are so alone  
There's nothing we can share  
You can get me on the telephone but you won't keep me there  
No, no, no, you won't keep me there_  
  
After getting the faceplate back on, she started tapping the screwdriver against the counter in time. Wiggling in her chair a little.  
She could see Mr Caravan Man watching her intently.  
Nick was smiling at her and it made her grin, finishing off the song.  
There was some clapping and polite cheers, Audra just chuckled, looking over...Mr Caravan Man was smiling at her.  
  
'Hey, uh, that was great. Thanks!'  
  
_Gotcha. He's talking a little slower, slurred to play up the drinking look...but he still has that west coast lilt._  
  
She gave him a wink and turned the radio on, happy to hear Travis. Finishing off her beer and turning to Nick, he nodded at her and started up the stairs.  
Audra tried to pay for her beers and blushed a little when the Father/Son duo running the hotel/bar waved her off. The man was still eyeing her, so she just smiled sweetly.  
  
'What a day, huh?'  
  
She slid off the stool and was happy to see him frowning a little as she went up the stairs, downing his whisky in one big gulp.  
  
She walked to the room at a normal pace, but closed the door quickly, turning to Nick. Whispering just loud enough for him to hear.  
  
'I think there's someone following me. Mr Caravan Man at the end of the bar sounds like a Cail boy. I saw him the first time I got to Diamond City dressed as security and he's here dressed like a caravaneer. There's also been a few times when I've felt like someone has been watching me.'  
  
Nick just pulled her to him, rubbing her back softly.  
  
'Hey, it's okay, doll. I know who you're talking about, I saw him too....he's a part of the Railroad.'  
  
'THE Railroad, as in the one Tony was talking about?'  
  
'Yeah, that's why I got kinda miffed, doll. Joe loves his boy and while I find the cause noble, I don't want him worrying about his kid.'  
  
'But why would they be watching me?'  
  
'Doll, you attract attention wherever you go and you're also the General of the Minutemen. I'm betting they've been keeping an eye on you so they can see if you're going to be an ally. From what I've gathered, if they're interested, they'll contact you or they say if you follow the Freedom Trail that you might find them.'  
  
'...follow the Freedom Trail?'  
  
_'Hey, make sure when you get there, you follow the Freedom Trail. That's a big piece of history. I always wanted to, you'll have to show me later.'_  
  
'Audra?...hey, sit down, you're not looking so hot, doll. What's wrong?'  
  
'I just...just remembered something...I was supposed to go see the Freedom Trail, I never did get around to doing it.'  
  
She could feel soft kisses on her face.  
  
'I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to bring up old memories. I don't think they mean you harm, but I'll keep an eye out, okay? Do you think you could lie down? We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.'  
  
'Okay...can...can you lie down with me?'  
  
'Of course, doll.'  
  
They squished onto the mattress, Nick lying between her and the door, wrapping her up tight in his arms. She couldn't remember what she dreamt about, but she woke crying into Nick's coat as he ran his fingers through her hair and made soft soothing sounds.  
  
-  
  
'You know you didn't have to be such a salty bastard to him, he considers you a friend Nick. I was the one that ran over and jumped into his arms. He.Is.A.Friend. If you don't recall, we've been the ones getting busy and I told you I love you. If this is how it's going to be, then we'll need to talk later.'  
  
She leant up, kissing him tenderly and caressing his cheek.  
  
'I love you, Nick...I want to be with you, I'm willing to work at it, but if you can't take me as me then it won't work in the end. I'll happily be anyone for you in bed, but it's a little harder to do that all the time. I need to go talk with Preston and get things updated, I'll be at the new office if you need me. Otherwise, I'll be back later.'  
  
(Wild Horses - Bishop Briggs)  
  
Audra left Nick in the house, sighing softly after she got down the street a bit. She tried to keep it light, but she was worried, she just could not understand why Nick was so jealous of Sturges.  
  
She pushed it out of her mind as she went to the new offices, Marcy nodding at her as she passed. That had been surprising, after they had come back from Quincy and given the Longs the items they had found, Marcy had warmed up considerably. She still didn't talk to Nick, but she wasn't trying to stare him down constantly.  
  
She stopped in front of the office building, the guys had done an amazing job. The took the empty foundation closest to the bridge and transformed it into a three story office space that now served as the Minuteman headquarters in Sanctuary. A group of the Minutemen had gone down to Concord and raided the buildings for the filing cabinets and office desks, there was even a few typewriters that worked and some couches and potted plants to give it a relaxed atmosphere. The first floor was mostly seating and a table with a coffee pot, then a few desks for Minutemen to talk with anyone coming in. The second floor was desks for Minutemen needing to do paperwork that Audra had explained to Preston, so they could keep track of things. There were some new people she didn't recognize, so she introduced herself before continuing up. The third floor was her office, with a nice big set of windows. One side over looking the bridge and cemetery and the other facing Sanctuary.  
Preston was sitting at her desk, he said he liked using it while she out because it was quieter and she had no problem with that. She wandered over and gave him a hug from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder to see what he was working on. Audra pulled back and draped herself on one of the couches and started updating him with what they had accomplished at Bunker Hill. After that was out of the way, she pulled up a chair to the desk and they started going over paper work and updating one of the maps that Audra had commissioned Ellen to draw. After they marked the trade routes and a few new settlements their newly formed scouting team had found, she called it for the evening. She desperately wanted a drink, a bath, and to talk with Nick. All of the above at once if she could convince him.  
  
-  
  
Nick had moved to the door after she left, watching her walk away, cursing himself for snapping at Sturges earlier.  
  
He hadn't intended it to happen, but when he watched her run for him and Sturges scoop her up and hold her close, he felt a flare of jealousy and insecurity. Sturges was a flesh and blood man. So he snapped a hello and brushed past them, going to the house.  
After she disappeared from view Nick took a seat on the couch, thinking things over, trying to figure out what he wanted exactly.  
He was on his fifth cigarette when he heard the footsteps, thinking maybe Garvey or Sturges came to speak with him. He was surprised when the cigarette was plucked from his fingers and Mr Caravan Man (as Audra had called him) dropped down on the couch next to him.  
  
'Valentine.'  
  
'Deacon...Are you losing your touch? Audra made you at Bunker Hill...'  
  
'Audra now? I thought she was going by Quinn...or is her new name reserved for...special friends?'  
  
Nick arched an eyebrow at him and the spy just gave him one of those grins that could mean anything. Nick had met the man a few times before, they'd never asked him directly to join the cause...probably because he was too recognizable for them, but occasionally Deacon would turn up and ask for help finding someone. Always wearing sunglasses, but rarely the same face.  
  
'She recognised your voice. Pegged you as a Cali boy...sounds like you've been tailing her for a bit?'  
  
The other man raised his hands, still holding onto the cigarette, doing a decent impression of Nick's twang, 'She's a sharp kid, that one. I do what the boss says and your lady, she's making waves.'  
  
Nick sighed and lit another one, taking a few drags, he was about to say something when Deacon pointed a finger at him.  
  
'Ya know, Valentine...you think too much. You're going to end up talking yourself out of a good thing if you keep up like you did earlier. Don't pass up something wonderful just because you can't bring yourself to believe it's for you.'  
  
(Wasted Love - Matt McAndrew)  
  
Nick frowned and then realised he was alone once again.  
  
_He must have been watching us this whole time._  
  
Deacon seemed to be aware of Nick and Audra's new relationship and he had to have been there to see Nick's reaction earlier. Audra walked in, frowning.  
  
'Who was that?'  
  
'A settler just asking for some news about Diamond City.'  
  
She frowned at him again and he was pretty sure she didn't buy the lie, but she didn't say anything else about it.  
  
'I want a drink and a bath, come sit with me?'  
  
'Sure, doll.'  
  
She gathered some clean clothes, her toiletries, and a bottle of whisky and they wandered over to the bathhouse. There were a few odd stares, but she didn't acknowledge them. Nick grabbed one of the chairs in the laundry room and brought it into the bathroom with them, taking a seat as Audra filled the tub. He tried to control his reaction as she started undressing, but when she gave a little groan stepping into the tub he stirred a little, staring at the wall hoping to regain some control.  
  
'Nicky? Are you mad at me?'  
  
'No, Audra...I'm not mad at you and I need to go apologise to Sturges for being brash earlier. I just...' He waved a hand trying to think of how to phrase what he wanted to say.  
  
'I wish I could make you believe that I'm yours, Nick...I feel like you get lost in your head too much and I worry that you're going to talk yourself out of trying this...I love you, Nick.' She sighed, taking a drink of the whisky as she leant back in the water.  
  
Nick looked at her, surprised. She said almost exactly the same thing that Deacon had said.  
  
'I just am not used to how...open and affectionate you are, doll...and the concept of an open relationship or polyamorous or whatever you call it, is alien to me. I was always raised being told that you find a good partner in life and you get married and you grew old together. After...after Jenny died...I kinda figured that was it for me. And then waking up like this...I just never thought anything even close was in the cards for me. And here you are a whirlwind and amazingly passionate and caring and wonderful...I'm trying, doll. I want to try.'  
  
'That's all I ask...just talk to me. I'm not running around sleeping with random people...you're the only person I've been with since Nate, but I can't guarantee that I might not desire or care for someone in the future. I'm not looking for anything, but I wasn't looking for anything when I ran into you and fell in love with your kind heart and sexy voice.' Grinning and giving him a wink, 'If we're together and I am ever attracted to someone, I would talk with you about it. And I would want you to do the same, I mean it. And if we both like someone, even better. It's crazy for me too...sometimes...I don't know. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Fuck, I should have eaten something first. I'm drunk and babbling. Sorry, love.' She gave him a little embarrassed smile and handed the glass to him.  
  
'Get cleaned up and we can go get you something to eat then get you into bed, Preston will probably have something for us tomorrow, he usually does.'  
  
She washed up and he helped her back to the house, grabbing her some food from the kitchen before joining her on the couch. She finished her food and after she brushed her teeth, he carried her off to bed. She snuggled down into the bed, watching as he stripped down to his boxers and lay down next to her. He pulled her against his chest, she was so soft and warm and smelled good. She'd been using whatever that salve she'd gotten at Bunker Hill was. Combined with vanilla soap, she smelled like berries and cream and something slightly earthy.  
Audra rolled to face him, tilting her head up and kissing him with a soft moan. Her intentions were clear, but Nick stopped her, looking into her eyes.  
  
'You sure you want to do that right now, doll? The neighbours might hear us.'  
  
She snorted a little and wiggled even closer to him, 'And they didn't hear us at Home Plate as I screamed your name? I don't care if they hear Nick, I'm not hiding our relationship. But if it would make you feel better, I can try be quiet...or you could always gag me...'  
  
He was hard and pressing against her stomach after he thought about it for a minute, he nodded a little. She slid out of bed, grabbing a clean rag from the dresser and bringing it over. Climbing back into bed and straddling his lap, leaning over and kissing deeply.  
Unlike before, they took their time, using their hands and mouths till Audra was panting with need. He rolled over on top of her and started to pound her with slow and deliberate thrusts.

_So wet...always so wet and ready for me._

When she started getting louder, he used the rag to muffle her cries and couldn't stop his own little groan. She looked gorgeous and he felt a surge, imagining her tied up and gagged like that, at his mercy. The thought excited him and he picked up the pace, grinding her clit under his fingers, making her peak twice before letting himself go.

  
He pulled the rag out of her mouth and kissed her tenderly over and over till her jaw relaxed. Pulling her back to his chest and soon she was fast asleep. She didn't have a nightmare that night and Nick was grateful. They were getting less frequent and severe. When he was certain she was in a deep sleep he took the time to run some diagnostics.  
  
He came out of his diagnostics when the knocking at the bedroom door registered, it was early, barely past 6 am.  
  
'Yes?'  
  
He heard Preston's muffled voice, 'Nick? There was a runner, Doctor Amari is requesting you and the General at the Memory Den at your earliest convenience.'  
  
'Okay, I'll wake her up, thank you.'  
  
He heard Preston wandering off and he waited a little bit, taking in her sleeping form first, he knew she would want to go immediately but he wanted her to have a few more minutes of peace. He started kissing her softly, nuzzling along her jaw.  
  
'Time to wake up, doll. Come on, Audra.'  
  
She was not happy to be roused but softened at his kiss.  
  
'It's toooo early, Nicky...whyyy...?'  
  
'Come on, love. We need to pack up, there was a runner with word from Amari asking us to go see her in Goodneighbor.'  
  
Her eyes flew open and she nearly rolled off the bed, anxious looking.  
  
'Really?? Let's go!'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning of Part 4 is now up, hold on it's going to be a rough ride.


End file.
